Northampton mum's charity single aims to stop young people joining gangs

Carol Bertogal is hoping the moving track will play a part in encouraging young people involved in gangs and violence to pursue a positive life path.

The mum-of-two from Duston, found herself in tears after watching an EastEnders storyline where a character got caught up in gang crime and ended up being

murdered.

The ensuing funeral scene featured family and friends affected by the characters death, which Carol found incredibly moving.

“I was overwhelmed with emotion as I watched the programme, especially as they used real-life mothers whose children had been killed," she said.

"The programme also made me think something needs to be done to stop the youth from killing each other.”

Carol went to bed thinking about the episode and woke up the following morning inspired to write a song, Stop the Fighting.

She said: “I want the song to change the hearts of young people involved in violence, but I also want it to support charities whose activities seek to end violence."

Carol has chosen five charities that will benefit from all the sale of Stop the Fighting the single, including Word 4 Weapons, which is the UK’s leading weapons surrender charity.

And she has high hopes for its success.

She said: “It’s my desire for this song to make perpetrators of violence stop and think about what they are doing. We don’t want young people to die needlessly.

"We want them to live. Also, it’s imperative we do everything we can, to encourage people caught up in knife crime and violence and let them know that there is a better way to live. So, if my song helps people to do that I will have achieved my goal.”

The song which will be released on November 30 on all music digital platforms.