Over 5,000 students across Preston are being visited this week by the No More Knives Tour, provided by The Message Trust.
No More Knives allows students to listen to first-hand stories from those who have been involved in knife crime and combines storytelling with music and education for an impactful session.
The sessions allow young people to understand the dangers of knife crime, the impact it can have on themselves and their communities and have open discussions with their peers.
All students who receive a session are invited to a concert provided by the artists at the end of the week – this is being held at Crossgate Church, Preston on Friday 8th March. Participating schools are Archbishop Temple, Moor Park, Ashton Community College, Fulwood High School, The Eden School and Corpus Christi.
Funding was provided for the tour by Lancashire’s Violence Reduction Network, who have previously supported the tour in other areas of the county.
Chief Inspector Dave Oldfield, from Lancashire’s Violence Reduction Network, said: “It’s been great to welcome the No More Knives Tour to Preston to deliver such an important message to our young people. Knife crime is a complex issue, and not something that one tactic can prevent alone.”
“Education is such an important part of prevention, and we hope by bringing people like The Message Trust into schools they will enable young people to have the confidence and knowledge to say no to carrying weapons.”
Emma Owen, No More Knives Tour Manager said: “After the success of taking the No More Knives Tour to Blackburn, Blackpool and Burnley over the last few years, we are excited to be bringing the tour to Preston. We will be visiting six schools with three bands, using music as a platform to inform, equip and empower high school students to make health choices around knife crime, knowing that they can be part of the change by agreeing not to carry knives.”
Andy Pratt MBE, Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner for Lancashire said: “The No More Knives tour provides a clear, powerful message around the consequences of knife crime, and it was great to see performers who have real, lived experience, using their skills to make clear the dangers of carrying a knife.”
“Cracking down on those who do carry these deadly weapons is vital to keeping people safe and Police and Crime Commissioner Andrew Snowden’s Fighting Crime Plan makes clear that officers working around the clock to tackle serious violence will have the support and backing they need to target offenders.”
