Pete Vernon's Page

Peace Co
A TELECOMS company (based in Crewe Cheshire)
Islaunching a new project with
the aim of giving young people
in Manchester an alternative
to gang and gun culture.
Local entrepreneur Pete
Vernon, along with his associates
Mike Tate and Steve Walsh,
has set up Peace Co, to help
youngsters in areas blighted by
gun violence.
The company will promote
utility products in the community,
and a share of the profits
will be put back into schemes
for young people.
Peace Co’s first initiative is a
telecoms business called Peace
Talk. Ex-offenders, unemployed
and young people will have the
opportunity to work in their
first call centre, at the LDJ
training suite Dickinson Road
in Longsight, where they can
learn various skills based
around customer services and
telesales.
Peace Talk will offer its customers
a 3p charge on national
calls, discounted calls to
Jamaica and Nigeria, as well as
discounted line rental, and a
percentage of the profit will be
put back into the community.
“As a group we are keen to
try and promote businesses that
give something back to the
community,” Vernon, who has
20 years of telecoms experience,
told The Voice.
Moss Side and Hulme in
Manchester have been swept by
gun violence in recent years
and are amongst the poorest
areas in the country.
“I was asked by one of the
local action groups what I
could do to help stop gun crime
in the area,” Vernon said.
“One of things I noticed was
the lack of funds for these projects
that only run for a short
period. But this business will
give them the chance to have
continuous funds to run these
community projects over a
longer time.”
He adds: “The money will go
into a pot which will be accessible
by the likes of MAVs
(Mothers Against Violence)
LDJ, Teen bash and the
Powerhouse youth club in Moss
Side.

Former Karate world champion
Geoff Thompson, who is
the CEO of the Youth Charter,
will head a bursary scheme to
help finance young people
through university, and support
local sporting talent.
“It would be great to say we
have helped someone from
Moss Side go to university and
give them a chance in life,”
added Vernon. “I wouldn’t be
able to describe how good that
would feel.
“If the black community
comes out and supports this
that would be great, but if I
could get 10 or 11 non ethnic
businesses to give the bursary
fund the revenue needed to fulfil
our aims, then that would be
fine too.”
The Company aims to help
to deter youths
from crime
Bringing Peace to the
people in Manchester