Community organiser Colin Lee-Own is hosting an event at Edmonton Green Library to bring together experts on youth violence and mental health

Edmonton Green Library and (inset) Colin Lee-Own

A summit aiming to explore the links between youth violence and mental health will be taking place in Edmonton next month.

Colin Lee-Own, the founder of local youth skills organisation 21K Digital Media, will be hosting the event called ‘The Life of A Top Boy: Community Healing and Violence Prevention Summit’ on Saturday, 8th March, at Edmonton Green Library from 12.30pm-3.30pm.

The event is aiming to examine the “intersection of youth violence and mental health” as well as share research and best practices for “trauma-informed interventions” and develop “actionable strategies to support and empower our youth”.

Among the guest speakers are Dr Ron Dodzro, a clinical psychologist who will present his research on “the profound effects of trauma on young black men” and Vanessa Boachi, a cognitive behavioural psychotherapist who will discuss “practical strategies for delivering trauma-informed care tailored to the needs of young people in high-violence areas”.

Colin explained: “This summit is designed to address the urgent challenges posed by youth violence in our community. Recent community-led consultations have revealed that persistent serious youth violence is having a devastating impact on the mental health of our young people.

“With Enfield recording the highest rates of serious youth violence in London last year—and with this trend continuing—it is imperative that we come together to explore effective strategies for prevention, healing, and sustainable support.”

Anyone interested in attending for the free event is asked to register in advance:
Visit “Right 2 Thrive UK: Youth Violence & Mental Health Conference

No news is bad news

Independent news outlets like ours – reporting for the community without rich backers – are under threat of closure, turning British towns into news deserts.

The audiences they serve know less, understand less, and can do less.

If our coverage has helped you understand our community a little bit better, please consider supporting us with a monthly, yearly or one-off donation.

Choose the news. Don’t lose the news.

Monthly direct debit

Annual direct debit

£5 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else, £10 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else and a print copy posted to them each month. £50 annual supporters get a digital copy of each month's paper before anyone else.