Story: Richard Belbin/Anwar Suliman
Current Home Secretary, Alan Johnson, visited Burngreave last month with David Blunkett MP to look at work in the community to combat knife and gun crime.
After touring the Vestry Hall, Mr Johnson met with PITS at the Furnival to discuss their work providing positive activities for local young people. He heard how the parents had set up activities and classes, as well as working with local schools like Pye Bank to allow greater use of their facilities for the community.
The group told Mr Johnson about the importance of schooling and how the education system was failing young people, boys especially, from workingclass areas and backgrounds and how schools should be working more closely with parents.
Speaking to the BBC after the meeting, Mr Johnson said:
“The group is inspirational. When I go to the north-east and Merseyside and to communities in the south-east, I can put them in touch with the PITS group as an example of best practice."