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Embargoed: Schoolboy's dancing wins nationwide 'Good 4 the Hood' competition to help tackle youth crime

News Release issued by the COI News Distribution Service on 25 September 2009

Embargoed until 0600 on Monday 28 september 2009

An East London schoolboy's dream of improving his neighbourhood by running free Diversity-style dance classes for young people to get them off the streets has become a reality after he won a nationwide competition, Home Office Minister Alan Campbell announced today.

Dancer Wacky Rymel, 16, will soon be holding free classes teaching robotic dance moves to young people on his Hackney estate. He won the chance after coming first in the Government-backed MTV competition 'Good 4 The Hood', which saw entries from more than 300 young people across the UK.

It is part of the Government's drive to prevent young people becoming involved in crime and empowering them to make a difference in their own communities.

The Government has invested £100m in the Youth Crime Action Plan designed to tackle youth crime through support, intervention, prevention and tough enforcement where needed.

In addition to this, Aiming High is the Government's ten-year youth strategy, which sets out plans to enable all young people, particularly those in deprived areas, to take part in positive activities and develop new skills and raise aspirations. Aiming High was launched in July 2007 and has £679 million in funding.

Home Office Minister Alan Campbell said:

"Wacky is an inspiring individual and I am delighted he has won this competition. His classes will mean young people from his area will be able to get involved in the community through a positive activity that will also teach them a skill.

"I was also impressed with the level of response from young people across the country; they came up with some great ideas and I wish them all luck in pursuing their ambitions to do something positive for their community.

"Young people across the country should know they can all make a difference in their area; go online to our 'Good 4 The Hood' website and see what help is out there for you."

Wacky, who has been dancing since the age of six, said:

"I am very happy that I have won the competition. I really hope this inspires other young people to start their own projects!"

The competition was run through music channel MTV, which asked young people to send in their ideas for improving their neighbourhood. A panel then selected some of the best proposals and posted them onto the MTV website where viewers voted for their favourite project.

From today, MTV will be broadcasting the first of four three-minute episodes detailing Wacky's journey to make his dance class a reality.

Wacky will now be provided with audio equipment, outfits and funding to hire a venue for the next six months with the help of MTV. He will then be given details of ways to get further funding and advice on applying so he can carry on his dance classes.

Nick Bampton, Managing Director of Viacom Brand Solutions, said:

"'Good 4 The Hood' demonstrates how television can be used as a force for good to bring about positive social change and respect amongst young people. MTV provides a platform and audience to drive this message both nationally and amongst local communities"

Notes to Editors

1. Louise Casey, the government's Crime and Justice Adviser, will meet with winner Wacky Rymel to congratulate him on his success at the Chats Palace Arts Centre, in Wacky's home town of Homerton, Hackney on 28 September 2009.

2. 'Good 4 The Hood' is the latest 'Force For Good' campaign to be launched by the Home Office through MTV's parent company Viacom Brand Solutions (VBS) in a bid to promote social change.

3. The competition began on 15 June 2009 on-air and online, inviting groups of friends, under 25 years of age, to demonstrate what they do or would like to do that is 'Good 4 The Hood' and make a difference in their community to tackle issues from drugs and anti-social behaviour to knife crime.

4. Recruitment TV and online adverts ran from 15 June to 12 July on MTV inviting viewers to go online at www.mtv.co.uk/good4thehood to enter their ideas. A panel of judges then short-listed the best ideas and MTV viewers were asked to vote for their favourite from 3 August for two weeks.

5. The winning idea has been brought to life through four three-minute 'reality-style' episodes that show what the group of friends is doing to bring about positive behavioural change in their community. The episodes will air during commercial time on MTV from 28 September to 25 October.

6. The last Home Office and VBS initiative 'Show Us What You're Made Of' was launched in October 2008. The anti-knife crime campaign invited MTV viewers to send in films of their talents to encourage the message that 'you don't need to carry a knife to get respect'.

7. Wacky is being sponsored for the first six months of his dance classes and the funding has been organised through MTV.

8. Some of the entries for 'Good 4 The Hood' included the creation of a recording studio for local youths in Brixton, south London, a mentoring scheme for young people in Hackney and extra funding for a youth centre in Nottingham to develop activities around music.

9. The website (www.mtv.co.uk/good4thehood) received 24,529 hits between its launch on 15 June and the close of the competition on 17 July. There is advice on the website for young people seeking to fund their own community projects.

10. The Youth Crime Action Plan is a £100m cross-Government approach to tackling youth crime in 69 priority areas across the country. Further details can be found at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/documents/youth-crime-action-plan/

11. For further details on Aiming High please go to http://publications.dcsf.gov.uk/default.aspx?PageFunction=productdetails&PageMode=publications&ProductId=DCSF-00362-2009&

12. Home Office and DCSF also fund the Philip Lawrence Awards that recognise the positive contribution young people make in their community and are looking for nominations. Visit www.philiplawrenceawards.net for further information and to make a nomination by the 30th September.

13. For further information contact David Langton in the Home Office Press Office on 020 7035 3835 or our News Desk on 020 7035 3535.

197/2009

Contacts:

Home Office Press Office
Phone: 020 7035 3535
NDS.HO@coi.gsi.gov.uk