St Giles Trust Talks

On the 29th April, we were fortunate to be visited by Shad and Anneka from St Giles Trust, talking to Years 9, 10 and 12 about the risks of young people being involved with gangs - either through joining a gang or being gang-affiliated -  and county lines drugs operations.

County lines is a term commonly used to describe the transport of drugs by gangs through using children and vulnerable adults. The nature of what happens in county lines is criminal and/or sexual exploitation and modern slavery. St Giles Trust works with schools all over the country, using speakers with lived experiences to deliver empowering messages to young people and to provide a unique perspective and understanding of the challenges young people encounter. Students listened carefully and respectfully to Shad and Anneka talking about their previous experiences, asked excellent questions on the topics and by the end of the sessions were able to identify reasons as to why someone may choose to join a gang, the methods used by gang members to entice young people into criminal activity and how to recognise and avoid exploitation.

Thank you to Shad, Anneka and all the staff at St Giles Trust for organising these workshops. We recognise that some of the topics discussed may have been distressing for some students. If any student has concerns or feels affected by the content, they are encouraged to speak to a member of the safeguarding team.

St Giles Trust Talk 29.04.26