Red vs Blue: Renewed Purpose

There are some things I can control, and there are some things I can’t.

Over the last few months, I’ve had many conversations with young people about what’s happening in the world and the anxiety it creates in their minds. From The Red vs Blu Schools Wars, to economic uncertainty driven by global trade conflicts, to rising knife and violent crime, and even the threat of international conflict that can feel like we’re on the brink of something far greater. These are not distant issues for them. They feel close, personal, and overwhelming.

At the same time, I’ve found myself wrestling with another reality: the growing need among young people for support, and the limits of what I and my team can offer. Charities are stretched. Staff are exhausted. Funding must go further than ever before. The gap between need and capacity can feel painfully wide.

And yet, in the midst of all this, I find myself returning to the same message when I speak to young people: there is still hope. If we choose to look for it, we can find inspiration in the world around us, and even become a source of it for others. We have to focus on what we can control, and the difference we can make.

One example of this came whilst tackling the “Red vs Blue” schools wars issue. An alarming, sinister attempt to cause harm to young people that could easily have escalated into serious harm and lives lost. But what stood out to me greater than the threat itself, was the response to it: Much of the week was taken up talking with community partners, understanding the scale, communicating the right messages and managing and determining a course of action. I was on patrol with Kingston Street Pastors on the Friday when the first incidents were expected, and what I saw was deeply encouraging. Police, teachers, youth workers, and community members came together with a shared purpose: to protect and support young people.

There were many young people present in the town centre, and although significant time and resources were dedicated to preventing violence, the outcome showed just how worthwhile that effort was. The anxiety and threat it generated was very real for young people, and yet the response reassured them that they mattered, that their fears were seen and taken seriously. It was a moment that tested our ability to work together, to de-escalate, and to lead with care. And importantly, it gave young people the chance to make good decisions and use their voices positively.

I couldn’t do this work if I didn’t believe in the hope and potential of the young people I meet. I see it in the small, powerful moments: when someone achieves something they once thought impossible, or when they show up to volunteer when they don’t need to, simply because they want to give back.

Many of the young people we work with are Muslim and were observing Ramadan. Watching their commitment and discipline challenged and inspired me to approach my own observance of Lent with greater intention. An opportunity to deepen my faith and reflect more purposefully on my own mind and how I am living my life.

In a world that can feel increasingly divided and uncertain, it’s easy to overlook the beauty that still exists. But it’s there. We just need to be more deliberate in seeking it out, choosing to see the best in one another, and to support those who need it most. Sometimes, that means using our voices and our feet to stand against division extremism and fear, especially when those forces try to take hold.

To strive for peace begins on our own doorstep. It’s found in the everyday choices we make, to listen, to care, to show up, and to stand alongside one another.

We may not be able to change everything that is happening in the world, but we can shape the space around us. Easter certainly gives me renewed hope and purpose, that we can be the calming presence in someone else’s storm. We can choose to forgive when feeling hurt is easier and justified. We can choose to hope, even when it feels fragile.

Perhaps that’s where real change begins, in small, consistent acts of compassion that remind others, and ourselves, that a better future is still possible. That by working together we might find ourselves in a better place. That is what we are trying to do through Oxygen.

John Trend CEO, Oxygen