Essex VVU Showcases Partnership Success at Essex PFCC Conference 2026

Last week, Essex VVU attended the Essex PFCC Conference 2026, The Power of Partnerships: Keeping Essex Safer Together. The event brought together partners and colleagues from across the county to share progress, celebrate success, and explore how collaborative working is helping to tackle crime, improve safety, and create better opportunities for Essex residents.

Essex VVU was proud to take to the main stage to highlight our work with schools and share the findings of our annual Listening Project, delivered in partnership with ECVYS (Essex Council for Voluntary Youth Services).

We also facilitated two interactive workshops focused on problem-solving, using real-life examples and case studies to demonstrate how targeted interventions can have a positive impact on young people who are vulnerable or at risk of harm.

Opening the Essex VVU presentation, Project Manager Sam Grant outlined our strategic approach to reducing serious violence and preventing knife crime through partnership working. Sam highlighted the tangible progress being made across Essex, with knife crime down by 25 per cent since the Essex Violence and Vulnerability Unit was established eight years ago, and knife-related hospital admissions reduced by 50 per cent over the same period. These achievements were also recognised by Roger Hirst MBE, Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Essex, during his opening address, where he praised the impact of partnership working across the county.

Sam was joined on stage by Landi Muca, Headteacher of Victory Park Academy in Southend-on-Sea. Landi spoke passionately about the needs of his pupils and how the school’s partnership with Essex VVU has enabled the delivery of evidence-based interventions that improve attendance, behaviour, confidence and resilience. As a result, attendance has increased by 20 per cent to 76 per cent, and every pupil leaving the school this year will progress into further education. This means there are no pupils leaving Victory Park Academy as Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET) – a fantastic achievement for both the school and its students.

Following Landi’s presentation, Essex VVU Team Manager Jim welcomed Nicole from ECVYS to the stage to present the findings of this year’s Listening Project. Nicole was joined by young people from Epping Forest Youth Council, who shared their views on the issues that matter most to them when it comes to feeling safe in Essex.

The conference provided an excellent opportunity for Essex VVU to showcase the impact of our work and demonstrate how a whole-system partnership approach is helping to reduce knife crime, support young people, and make Essex a safer place for everyone.