MORE than £5m has been awarded by the Home Office to projects in four London boroughs aimed at supporting children and young people at risk of exploitation or abuse.

Ealing, Hackney, Hounslow and Barnet are to benefit from the Trusted Relationship Fund after applying for money to run specially-designed youth projects over the next four years.

The fund was set up to help social workers, police, nurses and other professionals form close, protective relationships with children and young people at risk.

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The scheme in Ealing will work with schools to keep vulnerable children in education. This will include a 24/7 outreach service to support those who might be prey to disruptive gang association, including at the point of school exclusion.

Awareness programmes will also be delivered to every school in the borough.