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Mike Jervis

Gangs, Guns and Knives Co-ordinator

Mike is the Gangs, Guns and Knives Coordinator of the Active Change Foundation (ACF), a registered charity set up to tackle a range of issues such as gang, gun, knife and street crime but more specifically, recruitment into violent extremism. 

Since 2003, Mike has dedicated his spare time to working with the Qadir brothers to help combat street/gun/knife/gang crimes and violent extremism. He has played an instrumental role in setting up ACF and has since become a key member of the Trust’s team.

In 2003 Mike became Waltham Forest Council’s violent crime lead officer and began working with Hanif to develop a partnership to help diffuse many gang tensions. They are collectively responsible for a number of extremely successful projects such as ‘Defendin Da Hood’, ‘Asian Woman Against Crime’ and ‘Parents Against Violence.’ They have got over one hundred gang members to sign up for a ‘Steps Programme’ aimed at diversion. In April 2007, Mike also became the gang mediation co-coordinator in the London Borough of Southwark for the Damilola Taylor Trust.

Born in Hackney in 1965, Mike moved to Walthamstow in 1970 where he currently lives with his wife of twenty-two years and their son and daughter. At a young age, Mike became involved with gangs on the streets of Waltham Forest and what he lacks in formal education he makes up for in experience and knowledge of a culture that remains impenetrable to most.

Mike turned his back on street crime when he began work for a construction company whilst on bail for a criminal offence at the age of twenty.  By the time he left the company at the age of twenty-six he was handling portfolios of £7-8 million.  He then went on to build a series of successful business enterprises, including consultancy, purchasing for construction firms, a doctor’s agency and a property company.

In 1999, Mike decided to give back to the community and focus his abilities and energy into helping the vulnerable and the disaffected. He used his first-hand experience of street crime to work for the London Borough of Haringey as an anti-social behaviour outreach worker. His talent shone through - in his first year crime in his zone reduced by 80% and in his second year he was a key member of an anti-social behaviour action team which gained national recognition by the Government as a model of good practice.

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