Don’t Stop Your Future: Idris Elba launches initiative to combat knife crime ℹ️

Unveiled at London’s Parliament Square, the ‘Don’t Stop Your Future’ campaign urges the government to escalate efforts against knife crime. 

Prompted by a 3% rise in 2023, the Home Office committed to address “zombie knives” and machetes last year, but a report from The Ben Kinsella Trust revealed 282 knife-related murders in England and Wales in 2023, the highest since 1946.

Zombie knives, characterised by their ornate design and serrated blades inspired by zombie movies, are easily accessible online, according to Elba. 

Parliament Square featured piles of clothes, symbolising lives lost in 2023 due to knife crime. Elba, joined by Yemi Hughes, emphasised that knife crime is not confined to a specific race or location but is a nationwide issue.

The Don’t Stop Your Future campaign aims to shine a light on easy access to knives among young people and address broader social issues, whilst calling on the government to convene a coalition to End Knife Crime, bringing together government departments, grassroots organisations, sporting bodies, and young people for constructive dialogue.

The campaign’s anthem, Idris Elba ft. DB Maz ‘Knives Down,’ passionately addresses the issue. 

Other UK initiatives against knife crime include Lives Not Knives, a youth-led charity focused on prevention through education, and Key for Life, which targets prison reform and works with those at risk of imprisonment, particularly young individuals involved in knife crime.

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Words: James John / Image: Alex Piper via Mixmag