Tackling serious violence in Knowsley

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Tackling serious violence in Knowsley

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The introduction of a new project aimed at steering women and girls away from serious and organised crime was one of the main talking points at the latest Knowsley Serious Violence Forum.

Hosted by Knowsley Council's Crime and Communities team, the Serious Violence Forum was attended by a wide range of different partners and invited guests at Court Hey Park.

Among the attendees and speakers was Julie Dale, whose daughter Ashley Dale was murdered in her own home in August 2022.

Be the Change

Julie was the inspiration behind Be the Change, a new project launched by the Council's Crime and Communities team and funded by the Merseyside Violence Reduction Partnership.

Be the Change seeks to highlight the opportunities available to women and girls in Knowsley and steer them away from people involved in serious and organised crime.

You can find out more about Be the Change here.

Cllr Shelley Powell, Cabinet Member for Communities and Neighbourhoods, said: "I think previously when it comes to discussing serious violence and serious and organised crime the tendency has been to focus on males. Females have not always been taken into consideration. I think some of the tragic events in recent years has now brought that into sharp focus. We want women and girls in Knowsley to understand the consequences of being connected with individuals or groups involved in serious and organised crime but also to raise their aspirations and highlight the alternative choices they can make. Be the Change is a Council-led project but it will take all partners to achieve meaningful outcomes. That's why it's important we work together in Forums such as these."

Wellness sessions

As part of the Be the Change project, new and expectant mums in Kirkby can currently access free wellness sessions, focused on mental, physical and emotional wellbeing.

You can find out more about the sessions taking place in Kirkby here.

Trinity Wellness CIC, who are delivering sessions, spoke at the Serious Violence Forum to discuss the work they do and the benefits to people taking part.

Lauren Gwynne from Wild Warrior Wellness CIC also gave an impassioned presentation about the benefits of the sessions she delivers, using nature to improve wellness for women and girls.

Raising aspirations

Raising aspirations and providing opportunities to children and young people was among the key themes of the Serious Violence Forum. Former Olympic boxer Tom Stalker and Social Entrepreneur Miguel Doforo spoke passionately about the respective projects they are delivering in the borough and how successful they have been in engaging with a significant number of children and young people.

Increased reporting

The Serious Violence Forum also touched on the importance of partners within the borough continuing to work together to help ensure residents come forward with information that can help tackle serious and organised crime.

Information from the community is vital in reducing crime and Merseyside is now in the top three areas in the country for providing reports to Crimestoppers.

Last year on Merseyside, Crimestoppers received more than 9,500 pieces of information about crime - a record amount which led to arrests, seizures of weapons and drugs, and vulnerable people safeguarded.

Crimestoppers is an independent charity that allows people to pass on what they know 100% anonymously.

To pass on crime information completely anonymously, fill in a secure online form here: Give information 100% anonymously about organised crime in Merseyside | Crimestoppers (crimestoppers-uk.org) or call Crimestoppers 24/7 UK Contact Centre on 0800 555 111.

Computer IP addresses are never traced, and no-one will ever know you contacted Crimestoppers. For telephone calls, there is no caller line display, no 1471 facility and calls have never been traced.

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