Kim McGuinness launches ‘Knives Impact Everyone’ campaign

The ‘Knives Impact Everyone’ campaign highlights the devastating consequences carrying a knife can have, as well as pointing people to support and advice.

The emotionally charged graphics which feature unanswered text messages will be plastered across social media as well as on the backs of buses, billboards, and kiosks.

It features the words: ‘Knife crime cuts deep. Whether you’re carrying or you’re a victim, the consequences impact everyone; family, friends, emergency services and communities’. 

Tanya and Simon Brown, parents of knife crime victim Connor Brown, next to a campaign poster on the back of a bus at the depot (Image: GAVIN HAVERY)

Read next: First meeting of North East Knife Crime Taskforce in Durham

The campaign, launched by Police Commissioner Kim McGuinness and Northumbria’s Violence Reduction Unit (VRU), has been designed with input from school children across the region, all keen to play a part in ending violence that has ruined lives in the region.

Supporters of the campaign who attended the campaign launch at the Stagecoach depot in Walkergate, Newcastle, included relatives of young knife cime victims who have set up support groups.

They included Alison Madgin and her daughter Carly Barrett, of the Samantha’s Legacy group, and Tanya and Simon Brown of the Connor Brown Trust.

Police representatives, families of knife crime victims and young volunteers at the launch of the 'Knives Impact Everyone' campaign in Newcastle (Image: GAVIN HAVERY)

Ms McGuinness, who is supporting The Northern Echo's campaign and the North East Knife Crime Taskforce,  said: “We must reach kids with the right messages and the right opportunities – that’s how we prevent any more lives being lost in the North East.

“I don’t want to see another family go through the devastation of losing a loved one to knife crime. We’ve seen some incredibly brave families go through the unthinkable and we must put our all into stopping history repeating itself.

“Worried parents, teachers, police officers, not to mention so many young people themselves – everyone is desperate to put an end to senseless stabbings.

"We need to understand the issue and we need them on board. We need real change and we have listened to these voices. I want to make it clear though 99 per cent of kids don’t carry knives but there is one per cent that do, and we must reach them, we must stop them.”

Although knife crime is a national problem, the North East is no exception and in recent years there have been too many lives taken too soon due to the evils of knife crime in cases which sent shockwaves through local communities.

Read more: The Northern Echo calls on the Prime Minister for urgent action on knife crime

In a bid to fight such devastation, in 2019 Ms McGuinness set up the region’s first Violence Reduction Unit.

The unit works with a range of services and youth organisations to engage as many young people as possible, and to understand the causes of knife crime and how to prevent it.

Through its education team, 1,270 knife crime awareness sessions have been delivered by the VRU to 34,676 young people since 2020.

A further 119 knife crime training sessions to 3,016 practitioners since have also taken place.

Ms McGuinness said: "This campaign must powerfully push out our message alongside all the youth work, the interventions, and the wider family support we are offering.

"I want young people to know of the consequences, know not to carry and a knife and know they need to report knife crime and how they can get support.

"For every person we dissuade from carrying a knife that could be potentially life-saving – so this campaign is incredibly important.”

Tanya and Simon Brown’s son, Connor, died at the age of 18 after he was attacked in Sunderland in 2019 after stepping in to defend others.

They have since formed the Connor Brown Trust to educate children in schools about the dangers of carrying knives.

Mrs Brown said: “Knives Impact Everyone is every true. It doesn’t just impact the victim or the perpetrator, it impacts on every single person.

“Anybody thinking about carrying knives should think about the impact it is having on their life, but also their parents, friends, family and siblings.

“It also impacts on them. What happened to Connor is something we will never ever get over.”  

Alison Madgin from Wallsend started Samantha’s Legacy after her 18-year-old daughter was stabbed to death by a teenage stranger in an unprovoked attack in August 2007.

Ms Madgin said: “It is a great campaign and can only be a positive one. It is one that has come from young people themselves.

“From the work we do we know young people don’t want knife crime. Young people are the future and they are the ones who can make this change.”

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Chief Superintendent Helena Barron, of Northumbria Police, said: “We very much support the campaign from the Violence Reduction Unit and welcome any initiative which helps highlight and reduce the devastation knife crime can cause.

“Knife crime is a complex issue and one each and every one us has a responsibility to help tackle.

“I hope this campaign will make people realise the potential consequences of carrying a knife or weapon – not only could you take away someone else’s future and cause untold pain to their loved ones, but also ruin your own life and those of your family and friends.

“We would urge anyone who does carry a knife to think again and stop.”

Read next:

• How the tragic deaths of North East stabbing victims could shape knife crime policy
• Open letter to Prime Minister for action on knife crime
• Powerful video shows County Durham mum singing to her murdered son on death bed

She added: “Tackling knife crime is a priority for us and we have officers, staff and volunteers working every single day to reduce the impact of this type of offending.

“From knife searches, targeting suspects, patrolling key locations and helping educate young people about the dangers of carrying weapons – we are committed to playing our part.

“We also work with our partners, through diversionary schemes and the Violence Reduction Unit to prevent people getting involved in this type of offending and steer them away from crime.

“We would also continue to ask for your support – for families to have conversations about the impact carrying a knife can have, and if you know someone takes a weapon out with them please report it to the police so we can take action.

“Our region is an incredible place to live and work, with a fantastic community spirit and by all pulling together we can make a difference.”