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Search for press releasesTackling knives programme – six months on
11 December 2008
The number of teenagers admitted to hospital with knife wounds fell by 27% in nine Tackling Knives Action Programme police force areas.
Since June, when the anti-knife programme was launched, the number of people stopped and searched each month has increased by 10,000.
During that time, fewer people have been found carrying knives, and those caught with knives are now three times more likely to be sent to prison.
Saying no to knives
The new results come as leading figures from sport, music and business came together with families and community groups affected by knife crime to launch a new national coalition saying 'no to knives'. The coalition will encourage young people not to carry knives, and campaign members and ambassadors will work closely with their peers, organisations and networks to reach out to young people to change their attitudes.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Home Secretary Jacqui Smith and Children’s Minister Beverley Hughes joined the new coalition for its launch, and committed the government to playing its part in this new campaign.
The Home Secretary outlined a £4.5m fund for local community groups to run diversionary activities for young people in the 10 TKAP areas. This will fund intensive work with young people most at risk of violent crime through mentoring and outreach work.
Working with disengaged young people
Alongside the new community fund, Children’s Minister Beverley Hughes announced 13 larger organisations have been successful in securing their share of the youth sector development fund which totals £38m.
These organisations have demonstrated an innovative range of approaches to working with disengaged young people, including preventing young people from offending by involving ex-offenders and ex-gang members.
£15m is still available for charities and community groups with a proven track record of delivering positive activities and support to the most disadvantaged young people, particularly on Friday and Saturday nights.
Around 25 organisations will be supported by this funding, with each receiving up to £600,000 from April 2009.
Statement from the Home Secretary
Jacqui Smith said, ‘Everyone has a role to play in tackling knife crime and getting knives off our streets. We all need to stand shoulder-to-shoulder.
'I am pleased to see that the tough, targeted action we are taking in ten areas is making a real difference on the ground. More people are being stopped and searched, fewer knives are being found and if you do carry a knife you are three times more likely to be sent to prison.
'No-one should be in any doubt of the consequences of carrying a knife.
'We need to stop young people picking up a knife in the first place. That is why we are giving £5m new funding to community groups to ensure that young people everywhere have the support to say no to knives.
'The campaign coalition will help us to continue sending the clear message that we are all working together to stamp out knife crime.'
Statement from Children and Young People’s Minister
Beverley Hughes said, 'We know that by providing young people with positive activities we can prevent them from engaging in youth crime. But the best people to deliver this are often third sector organisations with a proven track record of delivering successful activities on a Friday and Saturday night.
'That’s why this funding today will help and support smaller third sector organisations to provide diversionary activities at a grassroots level for the most disadvantaged young people.'
The launch of the new coalition builds on the success of the Home Office’s own anti-knife marketing campaign, It Doesn’t Have to Happen (new window), which is targeted specifically at young people and has already reached millions of 10-16 year olds, highlighting the harsh emotional and physical consequences of knife crime to prevent possession.
Notes to editors
More information
The 10 areas taking part in the Tackling Knives Action Programme are London, Essex, Lancashire, West Yorkshire, Merseyside, the West Midlands, Greater Manchester, Nottinghamshire, South Wales and Thames Valley. The programme, which began in June 2008 and will run until March 2009, is delivering tough enforcement combined with education, prevention work and information campaigns designed to keep youngsters on the right track.
The No To Knives campaign coalition, which includes Richard Taylor, Rio Ferdinand, Angela Lawrence and Brooke Knisella, will campaign to reach out to young people in new ways and show how people of all ages, from all sectors can work together to tackle knife crime.
You can download a fact sheet summarising the six month progress of the Tackling Knives Action Programme.
You can also find out more about the government’s own anti-knife crime campaign It Doesn't Have To Happen (new window).
Thirteen organisations receive funding
Thirteen third-sector organisations have been selected to receive a total of £23m following the conclusion of the youth sector development fund second funding round.
This is a substantial contribution to third-sector organisations working with the most vulnerable and difficult groups, and builds on the investment made to current youth sector development fund pathfinders, which include organisations like Kids Company (new window) and Fairbridge (new window) that are already using this funding to work with hard to reach groups on the ground.
The 13 proposals demonstrate an innovative range of approaches to working with disengaged young people, including heavily targeted work to prevent young people offending (as per our original commitment in support of the aims of the Youth Crime Action Plan (new window)) – and some projects which involve ex-offenders and ex-gang members.
Successful organisations will each receive up to £2.5m funding and business support to build their capacity.
The successful organisations are:
- Youth at Risk
- London Youth
- NIA Project
- Single Homeless Accommodation Project
- The Salmon Youth Centre in Bermondsey
- Brathay Hall trust
- Pupil Parent Partnership
- Coventry and Warwickshire YMCA
- Oakmere Community College
- Salford Foundation
- Renew Leeds Ltd
- Wheatsheaf Trust
- Bolton Lads and Girls Club
The next funding round will focus on smaller youth organisations with a turnover of under £1m, and with a proven track record of providing positive activities and support to the most disadvantaged young people, particularly on Friday and Saturday nights. Therefore this funding round will make a significant contribution to the Open campaign.
From April 2009, we plan to support around 25 third-sector organisations, each of which will receive around £600,000 and tailored support to help them sustain their provision, including becoming more effective in the way they manage fundraising activities or securing private investment.
As part of the third funding round, a discrete one-year fund will be created, which will be administered by the YSDF on behalf of the Home Office.
Funded by the Home Office, this will offer around four opportunities for organisations in the ten tackling knife crime action programme policing areas to receive around £100,000, plus business support from the YSDF managing body. Funding will be specifically to support organisations working with young people (particularly teenage boys 13-19) in target areas, who are significantly at risk of being involved in knife and gang crime.
Further information on the third funding round and the joint Home Office announcement, including the application process and timescales, are available for interested third sector organisations on the Youth Sector Development Fund Managing Body (new window) website.
