You may have already been watching ‘The Met: Policing London’ series on the BBC. A significant amount of the second programme of this latest series focused on incidents that have occurred in and around Wood Green in recent months. It makes for some tough viewing but the clergy felt that it was important that we shared this with you if you missed it. It can be found on the following link: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000968m/the-met-policing-london-series-3-episode-2
In response to this (and to some of the more negative attention Wood Green received online after the broadcast) our Church put the following message online on our social media platforms:
The Met: Policing London documentary would have made especially hard viewing for the people of our parish last night focusing as it did on several tragic incidents in and around Wood Green in recent months. There are real and dangerous pressures for young people growing up in this environment. The impact that these violent incidents have upon the families affected is lifelong and heart-breaking. We grieve with them, we cry out with them and we pray for them every day.
And yet, through this pain, #WoodGreen remains an incredible community that is vibrant, compassionate, caring, enriched by the wonderful diversity of cultures and full of stories of hope, inspiration, amazing talent and faith amongst our young people. We are blessed to see so much of that not least amongst our Church family here at St Michael’s.
Looking out for our young people (especially after school hours), encouraging them, building them up, giving them opportunities and positive role models is the responsibility of us all. Each of them is precious to God. The current climate is one of the greatest challenge facing our local community and, as a Church, we are determined to do all we can.
Please keep this uppermost in your prayers and should you have any concerns regarding the above please feel free to speak confidentially with your clergy.