Chris Preddie, Crimestoppers Community Champion

Crimestoppers Community Champion and youth worker, Chris Preddie, lived on the fringes of gang life and drugs until the age of 16, when his brother was murdered in a drug-fuelled shoot-out.

Chris, now 23, turned his life around by going to college, university and dedicating much of his time to youth work for the charity, Crimestoppers.

Chris says: “I was one of those kids on the street, hanging around in a gang, being around drugs, murders going on every day. My brother was in a gang and was heavily involved in drug culture. He was shot dead one night in a barber's shop in Brixton. I'd always watched these things on the news, but I never thought it could happen to me or my family.

"The grief, pain and anger for my brother's death is the worst thing. It was too late for him, but I knew I had to turn my life around. I went back to college in North London to study music and drama and my teachers there encouraged me to get into youth work. Now it's my passion. I work on different estates in London with kids aged nine and up.

"They're always coming into youth group saying that one of their crew has just been shot or stabbed. They trust me because I used to be one of them and we talk about our experiences. Most of them are frightened – they're worried they'll be made fun of or bullied if they leave their crew. Really, I want to be a role model. At the moment, the so-called role models in their life are telling them to sell drugs, not to go to college.

"We've been talking about Crimestoppers in my youth groups. They are surrounded by criminals in their estates and never knew there was anything they could do about it without being ‘found out'. They thought Crimestoppers was part of the police – it's not.

They didn't know that if you call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or use the form on the website, no one will know it's you. Crimestoppers never asks for your name, it wants what you know, not who you are.

“Through my youth work, I want to encourage kids to call Crimestoppers before it's too late – so they don't have to grieve for any more murdered friends and brothers like I had to.”

Chris now works for Crimestoppers, encouraging young people to text information anonymously about people who carry knives.

The texting number only works in: Bedfordshire, Hampshire, London, Essex, Lancashire, West Yorkshire, Merseyside, the West Midlands, Greater Manchester, Nottinghamshire, South Wales, and Thames Valley.

Become a fan of Chris Preddie's Facebook page for Crimestoppers.

Chris Preddie has appeared in the news recently about how Crimestoppers can help young people:

'So why do we ignore all these murders? - The Independent