Ciaron Irvine, (Deputy Chief Constable), Sergeant Andy Boyd, PCC Joy Allen and Alan Strickland, MP with the Knife Angel.
Thousands of young people across Durham have been equipped with vital emotional tools and safety strategies to protect them from becoming involved or losing their lives to serious violence.
Police and Crime Commissioner Joy Allen lifted the lid on the ambitious intervention projects she is funding to save lives and prevent children and young people from being lured into criminal activity and serious violence.
Tackling knife crime and serious violence are key commitments in the County Durham and Darlington PCC’s Police, Crime and Justice Plan, with the Commissioner vowing to fund early intervention programmes to deliver on her statutory duty to tackle the root causes and impact of serious violence. Encouragingly, the latest available data indicate a 3.8% reduction in knife crime in the first quarter of 2026/27 (April–June) compared with the same period in the previous year, although these figures remain subject to ongoing Home Office reconciliation and revision.
Throughout the past 12 months, the PCC and members of the County Durham and Darlington Serious Violence Prevention Partnership have continued to fund a series of educational workshops and one-to-one intervention programmes working directly with children and young people – many of them vulnerable and at serious risk of engaging in violence – to change futures.
Ahead of the Knife Angel’s visit to Newton Aycliffe last summer, the PCC agreed funding worth £47,608 from the Violence Prevention Fund to Groundwork North East and Cumbria for a targeted prevention project aimed at raising awareness of knife crime and its consequences.
The project, delivered to more than 130 young people aged under 24, involved creative activities to help young people explore the serious consequences of knife-related violence and their role in promoting community safety, culminating in the co-production of a large piece of artwork to raise awareness of knife crime and serve as a platform for starting conversations.
Alongside this project, young people also took part in a range of group activities and workshops led by Groundwork exploring wider issues relating to crime in their communities, exploring themes such as healthy relationships, masculinity, sexual relationships, boundaries and consent and drug and alcohol awareness
In one session, a prison warden attended to speak about the realities of life in custody and challenge some of the misconceptions.
In a separate project, the PCC provided funding worth £50,000 to Foundation of Light, the official charity of Sunderland AFC, for the delivery of an intensive 12-week intervention programme working with young people one-to-one to improve their engagement in education, enhance their decision-making skills, and increase their awareness of the consequences of serious violence.
The project targeted young people aged nine to 15 not currently involved in criminal activity but who could be at risk, focusing on local schools, youth provision and community organisations near its existing base at the Caterpillar Leaning Centre in Peterlee.
Experienced youth workers from the charity led presentations, discussions and practical activities. One-to-one mentoring support tailored to individual needs was also in place throughout the 12-week programme.
Alongside the 12-week programme, the charity also delivered workshops and sessions in schools, community centres and youth groups to more than 1,900 young people – nearly doubling its original target of 1,000.
At Consett Academy, knife crime presentations were delivered to all year groups, reaching 1,500 students in total. The sessions covered several key themes including the risks of serious violence, decision-making, peer pressure and personal safety and have been well-received by parents, pupils and teachers.
Additionally, the organisation has delivered Street First Aid workshops through school assemblies and smaller class-based sessions including one at Seaham Community Centre attended by 97 young people. The workshops focused on catastrophic bleed response and taught young people how to use everyday clothing and accessories to stem bleeding in emergency situations.
Police and Crime Commissioner Joy Allen said: “The Knife Angel’s visit last summer gave us a new focus for our preventative work, and we’ve been eager to capitalise on its power ever since. It’s vital we keep the difficult conversations flowing while children and young people remain very receptive to its messages.
“We have funded an array of workshops and educational programmes designed to reach young people as early as possible, providing safe and trusted spaces for them to consider why people carry knives in the first place, the consequences of doing so and to raise awareness of safer ways of solving disputes. Collectively, these activities are reaching thousands of young people at impressionable stages of their journey to adulthood.
“We cannot take it for granted that our young people will make the right choices. They are growing up in a world saturated by influences – some good and some not – and we must do everything in our power to guide them and help them understand the consequences of their actions. This is why I will continue to invest in evidence-led early intervention programmes that show young people they have a choice, and how to make the right one.
“Society must collectively work together to eradicate the violence on our streets and that means holding everyone accountable for protecting our young people and ensuring they grow up in a world where they are supported to achieve their potential and granted opportunities.”
The Serious Violence Prevention Partnership was created to oversee the implementation of the Government’s Serious Violence Duty in January 2023 and requires organisations to work together to reduce and prevent serious violence in their local areas.
