Listening to our children and building positive futures together 

This week marks Knife Crime Awareness Week; an annual campaign launched three years ago by the Ben Kinsella Trust. It is a vital moment to reflect on the devastating impact that knife crime and violence have on individuals, families, and entire communities, and to renew our commitment to tackling it together. 

It’s also a time to shine a light on the ongoing, often unseen work of charities, community groups, and frontline practitioners who support our children and help keep them safe every day. 

My thoughts this week are, as always, with the families and communities who have been torn apart by the tragedy of violence. The trauma left behind is profound and lasting – but it should not define our future. Change is possible, and we all have a role to play in making it happen. 

As Police and Crime Commissioner, I have made preventing violence one of the key priorities in my Police and Crime Plan. That means investing in early intervention and long-term support, addressing root causes, and working in partnership with our communities to build safe, supportive environments where young people can thrive. 

As Chair of the Avon and Somerset Violence Reduction Partnership, I am proud of the work we are doing together. In 2024/25 alone, over 13,825 young people were supported across our five local Violence Reduction Partnerships. This includes school-based workshops to build resilience and social skills, mentoring programmes, youth outreach, sports and arts projects, and targeted support to help keep young people in education and out of harm’s way. This work will continue and grow in the year ahead. 

On Monday, at the start of Knife Crime Awareness Week, I had the privilege of attending a profoundly moving exhibition ‘Empty Shirts, Lost Childhoods’ at the Lord Mayor’s Chapel in Bristol. 

Part of a powerful project led by the University of Bristol, the exhibition gave voice to over 100 children and young people who took part in workshops to explore their experiences of violence and what needs to change. Each participant decorated a school shirt with their reflections, hopes, fears, anger, and calls for change. 

Walking into the chapel and seeing rows upon rows of these shirts, reading the raw and honest messages, was heart-breaking and inspiring all at once. These young voices remind us exactly why we do this work, and who we are doing it for. 

We must hear their voices, not just during awareness weeks, but every single day. We must also act on what we hear. Listening is only the first step. Young people must be part of the conversation, part of the solution, and part of the future we are building together. 

One of my commitments this week is to meet with students in Yeovil College, joining the Somerset Violence Reduction Partnership for a pop-up event.  My experience of doing events with students is that they will challenge me and teach me in equal measure. 

If you would like to learn more about the work of our Violence Reduction Partnerships and how you can get involved, please visit our website. 

Together, by listening, acting, and working in partnership, we can build a safer, brighter future for our children.