Housing associations take on knife crime

The Peabody Trust, Servite Houses, London & Quadrant Trust and Wandle Housing worked with Southwark Police to discuss knives, gangs and guns at an event that brought 250 youngsters together.

Young people were invited to the Ministry of Sound club and mixed with DJs and journalists to look at alternatives ways to express themselves. Discussions were encouraged on knife and gun crime, while workshops were held in Djing.

Martin Hopwood, who lost his son to violent armed crime, said:  ‘We have to stop to remember that lives are far more important than material things and that human beings are much more important than money.’

Iffat Rizvi whose daughter was killed by gun crime, urged youngsters to put knives down and pick up pens as a ‘stronger weapon’ of expression.

Peabody Trust’s youth and extended services manager, Sharon Barbour said: ‘For many of London’s youths, their families and indeed entire communities, gang culture and gun and knife crime is all too real.

‘But we want people to know that the situation is not yet hopeless. This was a great opportunity for all of the housing partners to work together with youths to tackle the serious issues at hand.’