Former girl-gang member turns life around to help today’s teens

By Regina Motalib

A former girl-gang member, who has turned her life around and now helps other young girls to stay away from trouble, says finding her faith in Jesus helped her immensely, writes Regina Motalib.

Jennifer Blake, 56, who lives in Peckham, is a volunteer youth leader at the King’s Church in Catford, and is a devout Christian. She was baptised in her mid-30s and feels her faith saved her.

She said: “In April 2004 I gave my life to Jesus Christ and my life did a 360-degree turn and my faith saved my life. I found my purpose and knew I had so much to give back to society through my life experience.”

Her commitment to helping troubled young women is due to her strong belief that girl-gang members are much more vulnerable than
boy-gang members.

She feels the young women she provides guidance to can relate to her due to her girl-gang related past.

She suffered immensely and went through horrendous experiences. Jennifer describes how she was beaten up, kidnapped and abused.

She said: “I have used my own life experience to listen to and support young women and girls tackle youth violence and sexual exploitation.”

Jennifer describes how she went from a model student to a troubled teen. She said: “I rebelled against my parents’ parenting. I ran away from home at age 13 and started mixing with the wrong sort of people.

“Before I knew it, I became affiliated to gangs. I got pregnant at the age of 14 by someone much older than me and had a miscarriage.

The drug abuse helped to mask the pain and I would hope that my life would end.”

From the age of 13-18, Jennifer was placed under the care of the local authority. She was eventually moved to a home far out of London.

She said: “I was only allowed into London every other weekend and I had to stay at my parents’ home. My mother did not give up on me and continued to support me.”

Jennifer felt this move isolated her form her community and placed her into a system which did not understand her and caused her more harm then good.

She explained: “This was down to their lack of knowledge, empathy and the importance of community life. Rather than enabling a
positive change, this caused me anxiety, distress, guilt and other emotional problems.”

She added: “I learnt a lot about life and the effects of self-conflict and how your own and other people’s decisions can have a negative impact on your mental well-being. I learnt the hard way in many ways with the choices I made.”

Despite her traumatic experiences and troubled teenage years, she said she did not fit the stereotype associated with some troubled young black youth, as she came from a stable and loving family background.

She explained: “I was a much-loved child and wanted for nothing. My dad was working full-time as a furrier and my mum was an Auxiliary nurse at King’s College Hospital.

“We didn’t play out much as my mum was quite strict in that area, but I do remember going on trips to seaside resorts with my mum and sisters.”

She described her family life as loving but strict. She added: “It was normal to attend church, not hang out with friends and dress in a specific fashion. The clashing cultural differences caused me psychological and emotional conflict.

“I battled to keep up with the morals and values of my parents’ Jamaican culture and Christian beliefs and the English culture I was born and living in.”

Jennifer, who left school with no qualifications, went on to achieve a string of grades, including a BA Honours in Criminology Youth Justice.

Her work with youth has led to an impressive list of accolades and awards from bodies including Southwark council and the Metropolitan Police.

She also received a Recognition of contribution for the Home Office ending gangs and youth violence programme.

She has been invited to speak about these topics on various news channels, including Sky News.

Jennifer has been a Peckham resident for more than 50 years, and is a member of the Southwark and Lambeth Met Police Independent Advisory Group (IAG).

She will stand as an independent candidate for Peckham in yesterday’s general election.

Pictured top: Jennifer on her graduation day with her mum, son and daughter (Picture: Jennifer Blake)