Young people across Liverpool unite against knife crime in tournament organised by Merseyside Police

Young people in Merseyside united this week in a powerful stand against knife crime, as they participated in a police-organised tournament aimed at fostering awareness and prevention.

The tournament was organised by Faye Smith, Safer Schools Co-ordinator at Merseyside Police, and took place at the Anfield Sports and Community Centre on Thursday, May 2, with support from the LFC Foundation, Everton in the Community, and Tranmere Rovers in the Community.

At the heart of the tournament lies the force’s commitment to combatting serious violence and knife crime through proactive education and engagement efforts.

90 youths aged 11-13 from schools across Liverpool, Knowsley, and Wirral took part in a round-robin football competition.

The police’s Fairness in Policing team delivered an engaging session focused on myth busting and knowing your rights, including when and why the police use stop and search powers. Matrix officers also spoke to the group about how they tackle and disrupt knife crime across Merseyside to protect the public.  

Charitable social enterprise KnifeSavers, which originates from the Liverpool University Hospitals Foundation Trust, educated the young people on how to act quickly to control major bleeding from any injury and emphasised that there is no such thing as a safe place to stab someone.

The day concluded with a creative session from award-winning spoken word artist Joseph Roberts. Joseph worked with the young people to create a short poem titled ‘Today Was Not About Footy’, which was inspired by the children’s thoughts, ideas and feelings towards the day and how we can create safer communities. 

Faye Smith, Safer Schools Co-ordinator at Merseyside Police said:

“The goal of today was to deliver a powerful message that knives have no place in Merseyside. Alongside the competitive matches, the young people learnt more about the role of the police, the dangers of knife crime and the impact it can have on themselves and others. 

“Events like this play an important part of prevention and give young people the knowledge and confidence to say no to carrying weapons and where they can go to for help and support.” 

Young people and parents can pass on information about crime anonymously to Fearless, part of Crimestoppers by visiting www.fearless.org or calling 0800 555 111.

For advice and information, please visit the Merseyside Police dedicated Stop Knife Crime Hub.

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