The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, and his newly appointed Deputy Mayor for Young People, Ray Lewis, today met with young people at Dagenham Fire Station.  Both the Mayor and Deputy Mayor were joined by Ron Dobson, Commissioner of the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority, where they met with young people participating in the London Fire Brigade’s Local Intervention Fire Education, or ‘LIFE’, courses.

The LIFE programme teaches young people between the ages of 13 and 17 fire-fighting skills alongside real fire-fighters. The Mayor and Deputy Mayor saw first-hand how the LIFE programme has had a positive effect, giving young people a real sense of achievement by fostering teamwork, self-discipline and participation in their local communities.

Established in 2002 the course has proved a great success and the Brigade has now run more than 260 LIFE courses, with around 3,000 young people from across 30 boroughs having completed the course.

Speaking at today’s event, the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: “LIFE courses are one of the London Fire Brigades most successful youth engagement programmes and it is extremely encouraging to see for myself the enthusiasm among those involved. Research has shown that the programme has made a real difference - 80 per cent of those taking part did not offend after completing the course.

“These programmes reach out to the young people in our communities and improve motivation and confidence. LIFE has built an impressive list of achievements over the last three years with positive feedback from all quarters of the community. I look forward to assisting LIFE and similar programmes to flourish in the capital”.

Deputy Mayor for Young People, Ray Lewis, said: “The success of the LIFE programme to date is evidence of how local participation and engagement with young people in our communities can deliver real and positive change. The Mayor and I are committed to build on these programmes and work with voluntary groups across the Capital, making a real difference to the lives of young people and their families in London”.