Merseyside clubs stand together to tackle knife crime across the Liverpool City Region

Everton in the Community, LFC Foundation and Tranmere Rovers in the Community have joined forces alongside Merseyside Police and the NHS to tackle knife crime with their Blade Free campaign.

The tragic death of 12-year-old, Ava White in Liverpool City Centre sent a shockwave through the city region and beyond, and the outpouring of grief and tributes that followed highlighted a united community that is dedicated to fighting knife crime.

This commitment resonates through the clubs’ Youth Engagement teams who currently deliver secondary school-based programmes that aim to educate and empower young people to make a difference within their own behaviours to develop change within their communities.

With support from Merseyside Police and the NHS, Everton in the Community, LFC Foundation and Tranmere Rovers in the Community are collectively aiming to tackle County Lines and Child Exploitation throughout Merseyside.

The programmes seek to educate and encourage students to make the right choices and in-turn students use this education to develop a social action project aiming to educate others such as families, friends, schools and communities.

Everton in the Community, LFC Foundation and Tranmere in the Community are also committed to working together to develop and deliver collaborative activities and events, with the aim of reaching even more young people across the city to help tackle the issue of anti-social behaviour and knife crime. More details on these joint initiatives will follow soon.

Francis Hargreaves, LFC Foundation’s Youth Interventions Manager said: “Our community-based activities such as Premier League Kicks aim to engage with young people through the power of football, providing further targeted support to those who require additional one-to-one help.  The aim is to reduce anti-social behaviour in communities which have high levels of deprivation by offering young people the opportunity to participate in positive activation within and outside school.”

Joe Rowe, Everton in the Community’s Youth Engagement Project Manager, said:

“Our Youth Engagement programmes raise awareness around significant issues in the city, such as knife crime, but also offer young people a solution and a choice to change their situation.

“It is vital we have a consistent presence for young people as they transition through primary and secondary education and provide them with access to positive activities outside of school, as well as giving them support when they need it.

“We will continue working hand-in-hand with organisations such as The Home Office, Merseyside Police and Crime Commissioner and our friends at LFC and Tranmere to inspire and empower young people to achieve positive social change.”

Tom Rowlands, Tranmere in the Community’s Youth Project Manager said:

“Together with our local partners and fellow Merseyside football clubs we are striving to reduce the increasing rates of serious crime.

“We are working to provide young people with positive opportunities to engage in, support them to be valuable citizens in the community and understand the consequences and severities that knife crime can involve for all.”

For more information on programmes that are being conducted in your community visit:
Liverpool FC’s website
Everton in the Community’s website
Tranmere’s website