Back on Track

Despite all our best efforts, gang-related crime is still with us. And more than that: there’s growing evidence of the special challenges faced by girls and women affected by gang activity.

In response, brap, in partnership with local community organisations, created and delivered the Back on Track project. It tries to avoid the problems associated with many gang intervention by providing long-term, intensive engagement.

Back on Track works with young people 10 years or over who are at risk of:

• coming into contact with criminal gangs
• getting affected by gang activity
• coming into contact with the Criminal Justice System
• re-offending

It provides a free mentoring and support programme that helps them to:

• build confidence and self esteem
• re-energise their aspirations and build stronger resilience
• improve participation at school/re-engage with education
• identify routes into employment or training
• manage anger, expand their negotiation and social skills

The programme also works with the families of young people affected by crime, to support parents and other siblings.

Running since 2011, Back on Track has engaged 25 young people, supporting them into education, training, and employment. Now in its second year, Back on Track is placing a particular emphasis on working with young women and girls. It will also produce cutting edge research into the factors that make gangs so attractive, what makes involvement so strong and difficult to break, and how a solutions-focused assessment of existing services can help plug existing service gaps.

The Back on Track project is financed by the Home Office through the Communities against Gangs Guns and Knives Fund. For more information, contact us This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .