Gang awareness play takes to schools

A new play that highlights the dangers of becoming involved with gun and gang crime is to be performed to students in every school across Liverpool and Knowsley.

‘Terriers’, which was commissioned by Merseyside Police, is being taken into schools as part of the English curriculum and aims to deter young people from a life of crime.

Alison Foulkes, an Officer with Merseyside Police’s Matrix team, who helped commission the play, said: “We first showed the play to a group of about 1,500 students earlier this year as part of a Matrix football tournament that we had arranged to try and break down bridges between youths and the police”

“The play went down really well and they wanted us to take it into schools to allow more and more people to see it. We also provide a learning resource pack so that the children can study the play as part of the English curriculum.”

The scheme is also being backed by Liverpool Unites, a charity that was set up in the wake of Rhys Jones’ murder to try and help improve the lives of unprivileged children across Merseyside, by actively tackling gun and gang crime.

Fundraiser Tom Woolley said: “The programme is very closely linked with Liverpool Unites' mission of positively engaging young people by inspiring them to break the cycle of crime and poverty, giving them hope, purpose and ambition for a brighter future”

“We believe that this is a fantastic way to reach the young people of Liverpool and Knowsley and give them the chance to see a live performance within their school, and the opportunity to study the play and explore the issues around gun and gang crime and the difficult moral choices that they may be faced with."

The play will form part of a continuous effort to help tackle this sort of crime across Merseyside. Alison Foulkes said: “Although Merseyside has one of the best police forces in the country, unfortunately it was named by the government as a gun crime hotspot in 2007 - We hope that this play will help to change that"
 
“Were not just stopping at schools either, we plan to take the play into youth clubs, young offenders institutes and boxing clubs and reach as many young people as possible.”