West Country communities must come together to reduce knife crime, says campaigner
Leanne Reynolds is looking to start a support group for families who have lost loved ones
A West Country campaigner against knife crime says communities must come together more in 2025 to combat the issue.
Leanne Reynolds from the Danial Baird Foundation works to get bleed control kits installed in public with 36 of hers in place to date across Bristol and Bath. Ten are in cabinets funded by our charity Cash for Kids.
After several tragedies in recent years including the deaths of Mason Rist (15) and Max Dixon (16) in January 2024 and the killing of Darrian Williams (16) last February, Leanne says she is learning how things need to change.
"I've realised there's a lot of work to be done," she said.
"We need to coordinate and work together, that is a definite...We need to look at the trauma and we need to look at it as a bigger picture.
"Each community is very different and the cultures are very different but we need to look at an approach where we deal with it and it's like a process after. So (we need to think about) how are we going to support communities? We've had a tragedy and how are we going to support them, and how we can prevent this?"
To start the new year Leanne is looking to create a formal support group for victims of knife crime, where families who have lost loved ones can come together and share their stories.
"It's going to be regular," she told Greatest Hits Radio.
"I'm going to build up the confidence and empower the individuals to lead it. So I've started it with someone who's been directly affected by knife crime, with their consent and their backing, but eventually they'll take essence of it as the families and it will be led out across the city.
"They'll come together and be able to discuss and gain some form of, like a family unit, an extended family unit so they can actually deal with their trauma."
Preventative work
There is already a lot of work going on in the West Country to try and stop young people getting involved with knife crime in the first place.
Groups include Empire Fighting Chance, Bxcellence and Growing Futures, while Avon and Somerset Police also carry out school visits to teach young people about the dangers.
Leanne though, says she would like to see more.
"I'm hearing that potentially people that are being charged with murder have been caught with weapons before," she said.
"It worries me that these weapons are just being taken off of them and there's no preventative work...You can't just remove a weapon from a young person, or the mother can't just walk into a police station with the young person and hand it in. If we know they're handing in a weapon what are we doing about it?
"You can't just take it off them (because) they'll just go and buy another one."
If you would like to help Leanne's efforts you can donate to her cause here.
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