Gordon Brown and figures from the world of sport and entertainment, along with families of knife crime victims, have come together today to launch a new national coalition campaigning to say “no to knives”.
The “No To Knives” coalition, which includes Richard Taylor, father of murdered school boy Damilola Taylor, and Brooke Kinsella, the actress who lost her brother to knife violence, will campaign to encourage young people not to carry knives.
Working closely with peers, organisations and networks, the coalition will reach out in innovative and new ways and show how everyone can work together to tackle knife crime.
The Prime Minister said:
“the most important thing we can do is that everybody who is concerned about knives in our community… get a message across that knives are unacceptable. We’re not going to have knives on our streets, we’re going to protect our young people, and we’re going to stop the knife crime that has caused so much damage, so much grief, and so much anguish to so many in this country…”
Those attending the launch at the Coin Street Neighbourhood Centre, London, included Children and Young People’s Minister Beverley Hughes and Home Secretary Jacqui Smith, along with footballers John Terry, Ashley Cole and Wes Brown, Olympic boxing medallist James DeGale, grime music artist MC Bashy, and former England rugby player Austin Healey.
The launch of the new coalition builds on the success of the Home Office’s own anti-knife marketing campaign, “It Doesn’t Have to Happen”, which is targeted specifically at young people and has already reached millions of 10-16 year olds, highlighting the harsh emotional and physical consequences of knife crime to prevent possession.
A video and transcript of the event will be published on this site.
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