Students at a Milton Keynes secondary school spent time listening to people who have lost family members to gang and knife crime.
Students at Denbigh School in Milton Keynes spent time learning about the dangers of knife and gang crime in an event that took place on Friday 7th July.
During the event, the young people heard from those who have lost family members to gang and knife crime and organisations that work with young people to increase awareness and to give them skills to help themselves deal with dangerous situations.
The MP for Milton Keynes South, Iain Stewart, the Mayor and Mayoress of Milton Keynes, Lauren Townsend, Cabinet Member for Community Safety on Milton Keynes City Council/Chair Safer MK, and Councillor Zoe Nolan, Loughton and Great Holm Parish, all attended the event.
MILKfluencer (Byron Highton) spoke to the students about his campaign to reduce knife crime with a three part programme called ‘The JJ Effect’. Byron’s brother Jon Jo was stabbed to death in Preston and he now campaigns to reduce knife crime
Also at the event was the Chris Donovan Trust (Ray and Vi Donovan MBE). Ray and Vi’s son was brutally attacked and killed in South London by a group of people.
Street Doctors, a movement of young healthcare volunteers who train young people with first aid skills to become lifesavers in their communities across the UK also attended along with State Red Solutions – a group that have 40 years of law enforcement (counter terrorism and Firearms) and military experience that train young people how to keep themselves safe using situational awareness and Martin Pattison – a local self-defence instructor who works with young people on how to avoid conflict but also how to handle conflict safely.
Dr Frame, Headteacher of Denbigh School, said: "We are grateful to all the organisations that came into school to help educate our students about the ever-growing threat of knife and gang crime. It was extremely powerful for them to hear directly from families whose lives have been devastated by knife and gang crime.
"Our students learnt about becoming aware of potentially dangerous situations and developed self-defence and first aid skills to help keep themselves and others safe. We appreciated the support shown by Iain Stewart, MP and Milton Keynes City Council for our event."
