Words over Weapons workshop
MORE than 2,000 schoolchildren from across Leicestershire have taken part in a new interactive workshop aimed at preventing them from carrying knives.
Lord Willy Bach, Leicestershire’s Police and Crime Commissioner, has praised the work of the Words over Weapons project, which aims to engage 8,000 youngsters across the county by March next year.
The PCC provided funding to project leaders Go-Getta CIC to spread the anti-knife crime message and help young people understand the repercussions of carrying knives through a series of interactive sessions in schools.
Through his Prevention Fund, the PCC agreed to fund the equivalent of 10 hours of project and engagement work at Leicestershire schools every week during term time.
In addition to hosting assemblies and workshops in schools, the WOW team has forged 15 new partnerships with schools and young people’s services and has successfully recruited eight new Young Ambassadors who are being supported to write and deliver a presentation on knife crime at an end of project performance in March.
Willy Bach said: “WOW has already reached 2,200 youngsters since April and project leaders are on course to engage with a further 6,000 by the end of March.
“There is no doubt that hard-hitting facts and compelling testimonies are necessary to convey the seriousness of knife crime and I am impressed with the impact this project is already having on young people.”