Milton Keynes charity helping young people stay away from crime welcomes 'zombie-style' knives ban
From tomorrow, machetes and zombie knives will become illegal
The founder of a charity helping young people in and around Milton Keynes stay away from a life of crime welcomes a ban on 'zombie-style' knives and machetes.
From tomorrow it will be an offence to possess ‘zombie-style’ knives or ‘zombie-style’ machetes.
While those were banned in 2016, a loophole meant sales could continue, with a legislation banning all types of these weapons now coming into force.
Jason Lawrence, founder of the Milton Keynes-based charity ReturnMK, is making a difference by offering young people a positive outlet through music, radio, and internet culture.
With a background in sound engineering and youth work, Jason established the charity in 2017 after moving back to Milton Keynes, following years of work with underprivileged youth in London.
Jason explained his motivation for starting the charity: "I decided to move back to Milton Keynes and set up my own organisation. Here we are now.
"We've got connections with the Council, police, probation, and DWP. These agencies refer young people who may be in trouble or struggling in school, and they pay for the courses."
The charity provides an environment that appeals to young people, offering them activities related to modern internet culture.
"They walk in and they love it," Jason said.
"Everything's set for them—podcasts, music, radio, everything to do with internet culture today. So as soon as they walk through the door, they’re like, ‘Wow, we didn’t know this was around in Milton Keynes.’"
In addition to promoting creativity, Jason has a personal connection to the issue of knife crime.
In 2001, he survived a serious knife attack that almost cost him his life.
Describing the event, he said: "I was stabbed right through my arm with a machete. It wasn’t gang-related, but it happened, and I almost lost my life.
"Once I got better, I decided to turn my life around and keep kids off the streets, away from situations like the one I faced.
"I was supposed to be dead. The knife hit the main artery of my arm, and I lost most of the blood in my body. It was only because of my mindset that I came through.
"I don’t want to see anybody in the position I was in."
The police had identified that zombie-style knives were, and continue to be, increasingly used in criminality, emerging on the back of the 2016 ban when some retailers exploited a loophole to keep selling these dangerous weapons but evade the law.
Last January, the Government announced the ban, just weeks after Idris Elba launched his campaign for action on knife crime.
The legislation renders it illegal to possess, buy, sell or manufacture these blades in the UK.
While the legislation is welcomed by charities like ReturnMK, concerns remain over the use of smaller blades.
Figures show hundreds of people die each year (261 in the year ending March 2022) after being attacked with sharp objects, predominantly knives.
Many of the young people who come through ReturnMK have been directly involved in crime or gangs.
Jason said: "A lot of them are affiliated with gangs and still carry knives. Some say, ‘If I didn’t carry a knife, I’d probably be dead by now.’ It’s a vicious cycle, but it’s the reality they live in."
While Jason acknowledges that changing the knife crime landscape is a difficult task, he remains committed to doing his part.
"We’re not going to make a massive dent on knife crime, but the little we do makes a difference," he added.
Despite the challenges, Jason’s lived experience gives him a unique bond with the young people he helps.
"When somebody talks about it but hasn’t been through it, young people can’t relate. But because I’ve been through it and survived, I get a lot of respect from them," he added.
"The most devastating thing is they can lose their life in an instant. That’s why we’re here—to show them there’s another way."