West Country youth violence charity sees 55 referrals in July
Empire Fighting Chance are calling for more funding to tackle the issue across our region
A charity which operates across the West Country which helps to tackle youth violence has seen dozens of referrals in the past month.
In July alone, Empire Fighting Chance received 55 referrals, and are now calling on the Government to provide more funding to tackle the issue.
It follows the fatal stabbings of three teenagers across Bristol and Bath since the start of May.
Based in Bristol, Empire Fighting Chance teach kids across the region how to box, in a bid to increase their confidence and build their life skills.
Luke Jones, from the organisation, told us: "We've lost three of our young people that we have directly worked with in the last 18 months alone.
"There's not a lot for young people to do, and unfortunately that's getting worse across the Westcountry.
"So, what we do is really just offer a safe place for young people. We combine sport psychology, therapy, and career skills with the sport of boxing in a bid to hopefully transform young lives within the community.
"They come, they exercise, they talk... We aren't teachers, we aren't police, we aren't parents. We are an external voice that the young people feel confident sharing with.
"When they come to us, their confidence can be really low, they don't want to say hello to anyone, they have bad anxiety - once we start getting the young people in, getting them out of their comfort zone, building that healthy relationship with exercise and their peers, that's where we start to then build that support network around them."
A Home Office spokesperson says the government's removed 100-thousand knives from the streets since 2019.
19-year-old Eddie King Muthemba Kinuthia, 16-year-old Mikey Roynon and Ben Moncrieff, who was 18, have all been fatally stabbed in our part of the world in the past three months.
We contacted Avon and Somerset Police as a result of the level of knife crime we have seen here in the West Country, and they tell us their work continues year-round to help tackle the issue.
They add that work with other agencies across the region is a 'vital' way in which violence in our communities is reduced, and ultimately, prevented.
Inspector Mike Vass, force lead for knife crime, said: “We work all year round to tackle knife crime and keep our communities safer. We can and will always use our powers to stop people carrying weapons in public. Using intelligence, we conduct stop and searches where we’re concerned there might be weapons involved. We confiscate weapons and prosecute people for carrying them.
“But we also know enforcement is not the only answer – we can’t police our way out of serious violence and knife crime, the causes are complex and multi-faceted. We are working alongside communities and other partners to improve the life outcomes of our young people, as we recognise that many of the people involved are vulnerable and need support.
“The work of the multi-agency Violence Reduction Units (VRU) is vital to prevent and reduce violence in our communities. They seek to understand and address the root causes of violence, to prevent further violent crimes from occurring. They also provide resources, and support the work of professionals and community groups, helping children who have been affected by serious violence.
“Some of the ways our Neighbourhood Policing Teams are also tackling knife crime include:
- Delivering talks to young people in schools, youth clubs and groups to explain the dangers and consequences of carrying a knife
- Carrying out targeted searches of open areas, such as parks, where intelligence suggests weapons may be stored or hidden
- Hosting pop-up information stands to increase awareness and understanding
- Carrying out patrols in areas of high demand, deterring those intent on crime or violence and targeting those we know are habitual carriers
- Working with local shops to tackle the selling of weapons to persons under 18
“We’re also calling for people to surrender any weapons through our 17 weapon surrender bins across our area, which are attached to police stations, and in communities. Since 2016, there have been over 4,000 knives and weapons surrendered through the existing bins.
“Earlier this year, two new knife surrender bins were installed in response to community requests in Bristol; one in Castle Park in the city centre, and the other outside The Park Centre in Knowle. More bins are being planned and if you feel your community needs one, please get in touch. The full list is published on our website if you search for knife crime.
“We’re also working with partners to fund some bleed kits across our areas, to be attached to defibrillators – they provide the medical kit required to manage serious bleeds, while waiting for the medical professionals to arrive. Two kits were recently installed in the St Pauls and Easton areas of Bristol and lots more are due to be in place by the end of the year.”
You can find out more about Avon and Somerset Police's response to knife crime here.
If you, or someone you know, needs help - support is available at the NKBL website.
You can also learn more about Empire Fighting Chance on their website.
Alternatively, in an emergency, always call 999.