I missed this Press Release when I was abroad for a month in February-March. It is worth publishing now and may even save a life.
From Raheem Sterling Foundation
Created in collaboration with Brent Council and the Metropolitan Police, #TheBoyFromBrent campaign has been launched by the unveiling of amnesty knife bins across the borough and a range of community partnerships designed to help bring about a positive change in communities.
To launch the campaign, seven branded knife bins have been strategically placed around key areas in Brent, each bearing a specific message from Raheem Sterling and displaying information, support and guidance from Raheem Sterling Foundation partners. Each call to action is aligned with one of the Raheem Sterling Foundation’s Power of 7 objectives – social mobility, employment, education, community, creativity, leadership and enterprise.
The Foundation is committed to providing a robust youth engagement intervention to reduce knife crime figures in Brent, where knife crime rose in Brent by 7% last year, with 549 incidents recorded in 2023.* By providing access to organisations that can provide support systems for at-risk young people, the project aims to help young people strive for better opportunities and overcome barriers they may face in their lives.
The knife bin at Park Lane, Wembley - adjacent to King Edward VII Park
Commenting on the partnership, Raheem Sterling said:
“I want this project to make a real difference to young people in Brent by guiding them to take positive actions and have better access to a powerful support network of opportunities. Growing up in Brent, I understand the challenges that young people experience every day. I truly hope our work enables change and I’m grateful to all our partners and the organisations supporting us to help improve the lives and increase opportunities for young people.”
The Raheem Sterling Foundation is committed to greater social mobility, providing better education, and furthering employment opportunities for young people by funding and working with key partners, community initiatives, inspiring mentors, and groups who are committed to driving change to make a long-lasting impact in Brent.
Clive Ellington, Chair of Trustees added:
‘’At the Raheem Sterling Foundation, we believe that all young people, regardless of their background, should have access to support and guidance as they pursue opportunities to improve their future careers and quality of life. It’s this vision that drives the Foundation and we are dedicated to breaking down barriers to success, helping young people find their voice and realise the power of their potential as they make their mark on the world.
“The Foundation’s project in Brent will open up new opportunities for communities to come together and tackle the issues in knife crime collectively while providing practical ways to open up a roadmap of opportunity for young people.”
Alongside information, support and guidance on the bins, people can also scan a QR code. This takes them to a website signposting them to support to help people move away from knife crime and connect them to a more positive path, including mentoring opportunities or getting into work.
Councillor Harbi Farah, Cabinet Member for Safer Communities and Public Protection, said:
“Sadly knife crime exists across all towns and cities in the UK, and Brent is not immune to this.
“We are proud to be working with Raheem Sterling and Word 4 Weapons to install these lifesaving amnesty bins, the first of their kind in Brent, and will continue to work with our partners to raise awareness of where they are located and the support available for those affected by knife crime.
“Every knife taken off our streets is potentially a life saved. If these bins help one person to change their behaviour, it will make our community safer.”
To find out more about #TheBoyFromBrent project, please visit the campaign page here
*Statistics provided by Metropolitan Police Crime Dashboard
The Amnesty Knife Bins are located at:
- Denmark Road, Kilburn
- Wellspring Crescent, Chalkhill (opposite Chalkhill Park & near ASDA)
- Neasden Lane, Neasden
- Fortunegate Road, Harlesden
- Old North Circular Road, Monks Park
- Hillside, Stonebridge
- Park Lane, Wembley
Sadly, I'm only too well aware of the devastating effects of knife crime, and if this initiative raises awareness of the issue then that must be a good thing. But, given that knives will always be available more or less everywhere, I do wonder whether knife amnesties are particularly helpful.
ReplyDeleteAnything that gets people talking about the issue surely helps? Even if one knife gets taken off the streets let’s welcome this initiative.
ReplyDeleteThe Mayor of London should have been prioritising knife crime as a major issue - this is surely more important for all Londoners than wasting time and £6.5million of Council tax payers money on the pointless rebranding of the London Overground Lines.
We’d also like to see these Lime bikes policed properly with proper docking stations - each morning you see them abandoned in random places on our streets, causing obstructions to pedestrians, and the general consensus is that these bikes are being used for drug dealing.