AP Foundation
Ben Kinsella Trust
Catch22
The Second Curve Network
TackleLondon
The AP Foundation is dedicated to transforming lives and creating safer communities by addressing the root causes of youth violence and gang involvement. Founded by Andrew Pritchard, an ex-offender who turned his life around, the foundation works tirelessly to steer at-risk youth away from crime and towards positive futures.
Our approach is grounded in early intervention and rehabilitation providing young people at risk and prison residents with the support, mentorship, and resources they need to make better choices. This chimes in perfectly with the collaborative work and outreach of Fighting Knife Crime London. We deliver impactful programs in prisons, schools, and communities, focusing on conflict resolution, gang awareness, and anti-knife crime education. Through these initiatives and rehabilitation programmes, we aim to break the cycle of violence and reoffending that has gripped too many of our neighbourhoods.
The AP Foundation also collaborates with other organisations and partners to create opportunities for young people, offering them alternatives to the dangerous path of gang life. From skill-building workshops to creative arts projects, we strive to empower the next generation with the tools they need to succeed.
At the core of our work is a commitment to making a real, lasting impact. By fostering resilience, promoting peace, and providing hope, the AP Foundation is not just changing lives we're shaping the future of our communities.
The Ben Kinsella Trust is a leading anti-knife crime charity, set up following the tragic murder of Ben Kinsella in 2008. Our vision is of a society where no family or community suffers the loss of a life to knife crime.
To achieve this vision, we educate young people about the dangers of knife crime to enable them to make positive choices to stay safe and reach their full potential. Our main activity is our award-winning anti-knife crime exhibitions aimed at young people aged 10 to 16 which are located in Islington, Barking and Dagenham and Nottingham.
Our educational anti-knife crime exhibitions are unique as they give young people an opportunity to learn about the dangers of knife crime and the emotions associated with living the experience in a safe space. We know all young people learn differently, so we have combined role play, video testimony featuring real life stories, quizzes, and surveys to keep young people engaged. During their visit young people move through different themed rooms, guided by trained facilitators and actors who provide age-appropriate guidance, interaction, and content. In addition, to enable teachers to enhance the learning experience by conducting lessons before and after their workshop, we have developed unique workshop resources which are shared with all schools attending, which include PHSE Lesson Plans for Key Stages 2, 3 and 4.
We campaign for justice and action for those affected by knife crime and our campaigns have won numerous awards in recognition of their success. We also recognise that preventing knife crime requires collective action and a partnership approach.
Catch22 provide the charitable umbrella as well as some administrative advice and support for this website. We consider them to be our most valuable partner. We are grateful in particular to their Executive Chairman, Chris Wright for offering this invaluable support.
In 2019-20, Catch22 gang services worked with 7,708 service users in both custodial and community settings. There was
We support children at risk of or involved in gangs and we also support families and children who go missing and/or are experiencing sexual exploitation.
Catch22’s Gangs Service was introduced in HMP Thameside in April 2013 and now runs in four other prisons. Run by professionals with an extensive knowledge and understanding of gang culture, the service aims to capitalise on the ‘teachable moments’ prompted by prison sentences to encourage people to leave gang lifestyles behind. We target coping and communication skills, and identify positive educational and employment opportunities for people to pursue on release.
‘I am convinced that the work they have done has prevented serious harm to many prisoners. It is their drive and their understanding of the problem that has made Thameside the safe place that prisoners now consider that it is.’
John Biggin OBE, Ex HMP Thame side Director
You can see our review of the year here https://cdn.catch-22.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Catch22-Review-of-the-Year-2019-2020.pdf
Robin Lockhart, the Director of Development for Catalyst in Communities (CIC) and Fighting Knife Crime – London began a collaboration early, and are looking to find projects on which they can collaborate in the future. CIC’s experience is vast. Robin himself takes the lead on Engagement and Restorative Practice. He is a fully qualified Youth & Community Development professional with years of experience as a Trainer and Practitioner. He specialises in Youth and Community Engagement projects operating in areas of acute need. He has recently been involved in Young People’s projects in Haringey, Hackney, Newham, Barking and Dagenham, Camden, Islington and Lewisham. He received the Commonwealth Youth Worker Awards for Europe and the Globe in 2016-17.
But at CIC, they are a team, with a demonstrable ability to change young peoples’ perspectives. They seek to improve wellbeing for young people by helping them to facing up to mental health challenges, violence (to self and others), drug/alcohol abuse, gangs, unemployment, radicalisation, homelessness and addressing these directly through the range of work CIC do. CIC possesses a wide range of experience in community safety and engagement related work. With a particular focus on operational, strategic and technical evaluation CIC use restorative practice in a holistic way that encourages people to build their own capacity for transformation and change in the domains of justice, education, social care and personal life.
The Corbett Network for Prisoner Re-integration is a coalition of more than 80 decision-makers of major rehabilitation charities and organisations dedicated to reducing re-offending by supporting people with convictions find and keep a job. Members always offer mentoring, coaching, training and on-going support, bridging the gap from custody to community by improving routes to employment. There aims are
"Prison isn't full of bad people; it's full of people who've done bad things and most need a chance to change."
Robin Corbett.
As Networker, Maggie Walsh, CEO of A Fairer Chance puts it:
“After release they need somewhere to live, something to do and someone who gives a damn. Well, Corbett Network members and their partner network, the Robin Corbett Award, do give a damn! So should you!"
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imabi is a technology company championing social change through innovative and responsible technology products. Established in 2020 by Mark Balaam, imabi was founded to help tackle the root causes of harmful behaviour and attitudes prevalent across society. imabi is named after Mark’s two young daughters, Imogen and Abigail. Since 2020 imabi has been awarded the contract to deliver the first national policing app tackling violence against women and girls and providing wider public safety support and information for all users of the rail network. imabi has also launched a groundbreaking safeguarding ‘Inspire’ app into schools both nationally and internationally, with a focus on increasing the probability of young people reporting concerns, seeking help, and giving them access to information they can trust to make good decisions. imabi has created the ‘Pro’ app for workplaces too.
With the creation of a state-of-the-art digital platform, imabi has developed a range of products and services that focus on delivering greater social value using their technology. This includes a growing network of third, public and private sector organisations seeking to adopt imabi’s products to make sustainable change across a range of societal issues that impact the everyday lives of people such as violence, substance misuse, exploitation, housing, employment and financial inequality, and mental health. Providing an all in one place range of tools such as useful information on topics and available services, support groups and charities, how to report concerns or wellbeing, real time messaging, surveys, and the use of location services to stay connected to trusted contacts and access safe spaces; imabi’s digital platform can host a wealth of information and services from organisations for their users to access.
Working together with other like-minded partners, imabi is using accessible and responsible technology to make change happen.
LVN believes that it takes a village to raise a child. In helping professionals volunteer an hour of their time, we bring components of the village community together to make a change to the lives of vulnerable young people. Fighting Knife Crime London finds this a quite inspiring community organisation. Whilst Fighting Knife Crime London has a different and broader emphasis with its news section, directory and magazine, it has a less prolific database. LVN is a active grassroots organisation with an extensive database through which visitors to their site can develop their search for information further. Set up in 2014 by Founder Rachael Box, it has a team of volunteers working with over 300 young people to create a series of programmes that put young people in control. We are delighted to be able to collaborate with them.
Developing the LVN Model: Evidence based design
LVN worked with behaviour scientists at Ogilvy Change and educationalists to create programs that maximise the benefit of one hour of time – we call this The Power of an Hour.
Although one hour might not seem much, our theory of change states that an average of 10 interactions between a young person and professional adults outside their usual network is enough to change their life path.
We have worked extensively with tutors and students at City & Islington college. As a result, feedback and collaboration from young people has informed the development of our programmes and services.
Candi students have collaborated with LVN on many projects including testing and creating an advertisement of the app and putting on community events. Read the full article here.
"Countering network poverty as a precursor to gang membership: bridging and social capital through temporary migration research and practice"
LVN CEO Rachael Box & Robert F. Hesketh, Lecturer in Criminal Justice at Liverpool John Moores University.
Fighting Knife Crime London are delighted to be able to partner with London’s Violence Reduction Unit.
The VRU are London's team of specialists - appointed by the Mayor - whose job it is to reduce violence in our city and make us feel safer. Together, we are determined to make solutions as accessible as possible to all Londoners, and to those who wish to help in the work we are doing.
We are convinced about the value of collaboration, the value of community, and the ability for smaller organisations to draw strength from others doing similar work. We recognise the value of providing Londoners with the most up to date and helpful information about local and Pan London projects engaged in the fight against violence.
Fighting Knife Crime London is delighted to partner with the Metropolitan Police in its drive to prevent knife crime, and to support local communities across Greater London through the wider work they do. There are so many organisations on this website already working with the police, and seeking to build a greater understanding between young people and the Met. If you or someone you know needs help or you would like to find out about potential warning signs that someone may being drawn into crime click here. [Takes you to our advice pages on knife crime]. If you would like to find out more general information about crime in your area and the work the police are doing, click on the Met Police logo. On the homepage, enter your postcode in the search bar for local information. [logo clicks through to https://www.met.police.uk/]
You can also visit Hard Calls Save Lives and discover the hard calls five mothers had to make when they lost their sons to knife crime. Supported by Crime stoppers and the Met Police the mothers describe the sons they lost and the calls they had to make following their son’s murders. They are calling for people to call the independent charity Crime stoppers, anonymously, with knife crime information. If you have information about knife crime and want to remain anonymous, call Crime stoppers. Their service is available via phone and online 24 hours a day, seven days a week 0800 555 111.
The Met deserve our understanding for the sometimes heart-breaking and difficult work they do on our behalf. They also deserve our strong support. Fighting Knife Crime London, the Met and all of the community groups hosted on this website are helping to drive the very best form of collaboration, in order to tackle the consequences, and fight the causes of violence across the Metropolitan area.
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The Helena Kennedy Centre for International Justice is a leading centre for social justice and human rights. It provides a vibrant environment at the cutting edge of legal and criminal justice practice which prepares students for excellence in their chosen professional career. Fighting Knife Crime London is particular indebted to them for the academic work they are assisting with to develop our website into the most effective tool it can be as a first port of call for those seeking help and offering assistance. Operating in support of the Law and Criminology Department at Sheffield Hallam University, HKC is arguably now the nation’s foremost centre for the teaching of human rights and development of practical research tools.
The centre is home to a range of social justice and human rights activities that include:
Its central values are those of widening access to justice and education, the promotion of human rights, ethics in legal practice, equality and a respect for human dignity in overcoming social injustice.
“The law is the bedrock of a nation; it tells us who we are, what we value, who has power and who hasn't.”
Helena Kennedy QC
The Helena Kennedy Centre's scope of expertise covers:
The centre works on the high profile projects in a variety of human rights and social justice areas. Research and projects concern Knife Crime, Modern Day Slavery, gender-based violence, hate crime and many more.
PTG founder Dan Brown and their Executive Chairman Sir Ken Olisa OBE have each been at the forefront in positively encouraging Fighting Knife Crime London and the particular ethos we promotes among the organisations whose details can be found on this website.
Dan Brown writes “PTG is a collaboration of organisations supporting Charitable Opportunity and our campaign of Positively Impacting 1 Billion Lives by providing the right networks, connections, resources, and opportunities to create brighter better futures.
Everything depends on our ability to make other people's lives better. This is not some CSR bolt-on to business as usual, with a need to tick some boxes and write an impact report for a boardroom coffee table. We are driven by purpose not financial targets and will be positively impacting 1 billion lives by providing the right networks, connections, resources, and opportunities to create brighter better futures.
I am committed to making sure we are transparent, inclusive, and accessible in everything we do. No exceptions, no excuses.
I hold a firm, unshakable belief in myself and the people around me. We have grit, determination, and a relentless will to lead a new era of Positive Transformation during a time it is needed most, and we will be mercilessly persistent in creating brighter, better futures for those who need help, support and encouragement.
Our focus in 2021 is to lift a minimum of 1 million people out of digital poverty and connect them to new opportunities through education and pathways to employment.
Clive Conway, the TFUK’s Chairman has done much to inspire the creation of Fighting Knife Crime London, and made valuable introductions to assist its creation.
Founded in 2007, TFUK is built on the inspiration and knowledge of South African communities who sought reconciliation rather than revenge following the overthrow of Apartheid, through the southern African concept of Ubuntu. Ubuntu encourages us to recognise our common humanity, our connectedness and inter- dependence as fellow human beings. It emphasises what we have in common.
Desmond Tutu explains it like this:
“We believe that a person is a person through another person, that my humanity is caught up, bound up, inextricably, with yours. When I dehumanise you, I inexorably dehumanise myself.“
TFUK promotes this philosophy, particularly with young people involved in gang violence and in divided communities, working with regional police forces, significant national institutions, and corporates. We help them tackle bullying, prejudices, and discrimination. We work to increase respect and appreciation of each other’s individual humanity and so empower them as individuals and groups to achieve more.
We work to prevent & resolve conflict, to help people build peaceful communities across the UK, by providing facilitation and mediation services, based on the principles of Ubuntu.
By 2023 TFUK will be a significant enabler for changing communities and the “go to” repository of evidence-based knowledge about, and source of advice on, building peaceful and harmonious communities, and be seen as experts in building more cohesive communities, conflict resolution, and associated training.
The Second Curve Network (SCN) is driven by Chair Chris Reeve and Vice-Chairs Barry Murphy, Jeff Hayes and Sir Stephen O’Brien, and is currently led by Joseph Lyons, seconded part-time from his current CEO role at West Ham United Foundation. Sir Stephen O’Brien in particular has proffered his wise advice and support at every stage of the creation of this website. Fighting Knife Crime London is particularly indebted to him, and look forward to working together with SCN to fulfil their aims, which are summarised here.
SCN has over 20 organisational partners and a wide range of leading business and entrepreneurial leaders who combine together to focus on specific projects upon which to concentrate their considerable talent and resources. To begin with, these include four major projects for vulnerable groups which are replicable, benefitting from a collaborative approach and addressing long-standing social issues, including in the East End of London. Project Teams will drive forward and crystalise the project models in the months ahead. SCN believes that successful business is the cornerstone of a successful and peaceful society, with a central responsibility to use its capacity to bring prosperity to promote social cohesion and to address the failure of 50 years of public investment to alleviate the misery and waste associated with so many of our depressed local communities and their inhabitants.
Make Time Count -Today! Ltd is a UK based social enterprise company operating nationally, and is committed to providing digital solutions that help the most vulnerable. 51% of all profits generated from these activities will be re-invested into a fund to support companies started by vulnerable individuals. Fighting Knife Crime London are very happy to include them as partners for the future, so that anyone wishing to take advantage of the solutions they offer can easily find what the need. Whilst Fighting Knife Crime London is keeping its focus for now firmly focused on the problems of young people on Greater London, others may find it useful to research what is happening to in the rest of the country.
Are you Struggling? We all need help sometimes. With anything from Housing, finding a job, mental health or addiction issues.
Support is out there, but it can be hard to find. That's where Make Time Count comes in.
Making Time Count are aiming to build the UK's largest directory of support services. Simple search for what you need, add you postcode and click to request help. We invite you to leave feedback on your experience to help others.
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TackleLondon uses sports mentoring to teach confidence, resilience and teamwork, enabling young people to realise their potential. Our mission is to empower London’s youth, providing them with the tools and opportunities they need to flourish. We are committed to tackling inequality of opportunity, and countering adversity, by developing an unbroken pathway of positive, supportive relationships uniting school, club and community.
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