Youth groups join forces to tackle knife crime

Community groups have joined forces to tackle the issue of knife crime among young people in the wake of a fatal stabbing.

Ulysses Youth, Black Onyx Academy and the Hubb Foundation, all based in Stoke-on-Trent, held an engagement event to educate visitors about the issue on Wednesday.

It came after 44-year-old Christopher Bradbury was stabbed to death near Hanley Park on 23 July. Four people have since been charged with his murder.

The engagement event, held at the KIX FC venue in Hanley, saw youngsters aged between 11 and 16 years old voice their commitment to anti-knife crime issues.

Among those in attendance was Stoke-on-Trent rapper HarvStar, who creates anti-knife crime music as part of the city's Ditch The Blade campaign.

"I've had family injured by knife crime and I've lost family to knife crime," he told BBC Radio Stoke.

"I want to be a part of the group to help stop it. There's no need for the violence."

Laura Bailey, Ulysses Youth founder, said it was vital people from the city came together to support young people.

"There are lots of entrenched reasons why young people might get involved in things like knife crime or youth violence," she added.

"We class them as vulnerable young people – to some level, they're coerced into maybe some criminal activity and that's where the knife crime comes from.

"We want to give them another route, we want to focus on their abilities, their skills – to help them building them so they've got something positive to work towards."

The event was hosted as part of the Hubb Foundation's Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme, which is put on for children during school breaks.

Ulysses youth ambassador Alexandra, 15, said events like these helped to engage more young people and provide them with more opportunities.

"I think one of the main things to take away is to not miss out on opportunities," she said.

"Even though they might be late opportunities, it's always better to start early because you never know what could happen. It's just better to go out and live your life."

Deborah, also 15, said: "I feel like it's a good way to gather people together. For six weeks, people have nothing to do."

Jane Sawyers, chair of The Hubb Foundation and former Staffordshire Police chief constable, said "great strides" were being made to raise awareness of knife crime.

But she added: "We can always do more especially over the summer holidays when young people may feel more vulnerable and parents feel more worried."

Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.