Synergy Network: Churches and Communities Taking a Stand is a growing coalition of churches, para-church groups, Christian agencies and organisations working to end serious youth violence in Britain and Ireland.
Petition – a call on the Government to declare serious youth violence a ‘public health issue’
The Synergy Network sent a petition to the previous Conservative government in November 2023 asking for serious youth violence to be declared a ‘public health issue’. Other churches, community groups and Christians were encouraged to sign. The petition closed in April 2024 prior to the announcement of the General Election. The Synergy Network has continued its endeavours to see SYV declared as a public health issue and has contacted the new Labour government to establish what their intentions are regarding this issue.
SYNERGY – What it means to us:
Sharing – wisdom, experience, practice…
Young people – their challenges, opportunities, aspirations…
Networking – partnerships, linking people together, working together…
Events – workshops, meetings, conferences, prayer breakfasts….
Relationships – research and reaching out….
God at the centre of everything..
You….? How can you link up and be part of this?
The Synergy Network came together to organise the ground breaking Standing Together day of Prayer and Action rally at Trafalgar Square, central London on 6 April 2019, which was a call to action for churches to stand alongside those affected by violent crime in Britain.
Synergy Network Lead
Joanna Brown is the Synergy Network lead. Joanna will work with Board members to realise the Networks’ aims of ending Serious Youth Violence (SYV) in Britain and Ireland. To contact Joanna, please email or phone 07492 000142.
Synergy Network website
This website is part of that ongoing work to tackle an issue that continues to devastate lives and communities across the country. This hub captures everything that the churches are doing to combat serious youth violence, and includes organisations, groups and churches that have developed programmes or resources on this issue. We want to provide a platform or space for those wishing to engage in these activities or wanting to find out more and offer opportunities for collaboration between those who are carrying out these activities or keen to enter into partnerships. This site provides information sharing and best practice dissemination, a one-stop-shop for up-to-date information on Government policy, latest thinking and funding opportunities from the statutory and voluntary sector. It will also be a conduit for engagement between the churches and central/local government, as well as civil society groups.
Above all, we hope to encourage greater Church participation and action on serious youth violence. The work to end this scourge will be long and arduous, but it is one that can be won, and one in which the churches must engage (alongside government, the police, civil society organisations and the community at large).
