The James Brindley Foundation is encouraged to see the government taking meaningful steps to provide support and specialist training to schools in knife crime “hot spots,” aimed at increasing awareness and reducing the impact of knife-related violence.
Proposed measures include mentoring high risk student and chaperoning busy before and after school routes. As Jon Yates, CEO of the Youth Endowment Fund and a fellow member of the government’s Coalition to Tackle Knife Crime, said: “We know what works to prevent knife crime – a trusted adult, someone to talk to, social and emotional support, [and also] opportunities like sport. This programme – backed by the government – aims to bring that support to more of our school children, giving them the chance to live a life free from violence and keeping more young people safe from harm.”
This announcement resonates with us. After James’s tragic murder in 2017, we formed the James Brindley Foundation in 2018 and have since been banging our drum for this approach. Through our Full Circle Programme, we use mentoring to support and educate young people at risk of, or already involved in anti-social or criminal behaviours, a pathway that can escalate into serious youth violence.
We also train school staff to engage meaningfully with young people, creating safe spaces to discuss challenges without judgement and to understand the root causes and drivers of behaviour. The government’s move affirms what we have long known: our model works. We’ve demonstrated its impact, and it’s encouraging to see others recognise its value.
But need outstrips capacity. Our current funds cannot meet demand across the West Midlands and beyond. That’s why we are pressing ahead with fundraising. As we’ve always said, “serious youth violence is not inevitable, it is predictable and therefore preventable” and we have a programme for children and young people to make a real difference. If the YEF rollout in hotspot schools is delivered quickly, we are ready to scale our programme immediately.
The positive message is clear: the drum we have been banging for almost eight years – the drum we will keep on banging – is finally being heard. Knife crime can touch any family in any community, and only by working together can we stop serious youth violence.
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We want to live in a country where nobody walks in fear of youth violence.
