THANKS FROM ALL AT FAMILIES UTD FOR SUPPORTING COUNT ME IN
Though the push continues to get as many names as we can on our Facebook Page, we are so overwhelmed with the response, that we wanted to thank you, and to remind everyone to keep pushing.
WHY ARE WE INVOLVED?
Count Me In is a joint initiative between Families Utd, Damilola Taylor Trust, the Home Office, and the Department of Children Schools and Families. The Prime Minister announced the launch of the campaign which is aiming the get thousands of young people to join the campaign to put an end to knife crime.
To launch Count Me In: Together We Can Stop Knife Crime week the Government has joined forces with Families Utd to launch a week of activity in and around schools across the country.
Young people will be directed to the websites where they can join a group to give their support to the campaign. The websites will contain advice, routes to further support and testimonies from the families and communities affected by knife crime. Speaking ahead of the launch in Lambeth, the Prime Minister said:
“I’m very proud to support Families Utd. Their unity comes from shared tragedy and their loss is the most powerful warning there is against carrying a knife. I believe young people want to see an end to knife crime, just as we all do, and I believe the power to make that happen is as much in their hands as it is ours. So this week we’re asking them to sign the pledge and say “Count Me In” to a world without knife crime.”
For the families involved, Count Me In Week will be an opportunity to raise awareness of the impact knife crime has on families and the wider community.
It is also a chance to alert other knife crime victims’ families to their organisation and to make them aware of the support available to them.
We hope to get more families to join our group, and begin to use this as the official launch of Families Utd to the public at large. (if you are someone who has been affected by Youth Violence (in anyway) and want to join Families Utd, then click here
WHO SHOULD GET INVOLVED AND WHY?
Although this campaign is about getting young people to engage and own the issue, schools will play a significant role in supporting and amplifying the messages to young people in a supportive environment.We recognise that most schools do not have an issue with knife crime and we want to keep it this way.
That is why we need you to get involved.
Schools are in an ideal position to raise the issue about knife crime with large numbers of young people who may, at some point in their future, be faced with difficult decisions.
This campaign is about prevention – helping to inform and prepare young people to make the right choice and support others to do the same.
‘COUNT ME IN’ LAUNCH VIDEO
WHAT THE CAMPAIGN IS SEEKING
Schools Minister Vernon Coaker said:
“Knife crime has a devastating impact on the families and communities affected. The victims’ families have to live with the tragic consequences of knife crime for the rest of their lives – this is deeply saddening. As a result of Government action, knife-related crime and murders are on the decrease. But we are not complacent – we know that more needs to be done to eradicate knife crime in this country. Government alone cannot solve this problem, which is why we are calling on young people to join the campaign to help us end knife crime.
“I am very grateful to Families Utd for their support. From their tragic experiences, they have become the driving force behind this nationwide campaign to end knife crime. We know that that the vast majority of young people are law-abiding, hard-working and are horrified by the crimes these families suffered. I would urge all young people to stand up and be counted and to join Count Me In, because only by working together can we hope to stop knife crime.”
Count Me In Week will be reinforced with new classroom materials to help teachers talk to young people about knife crime and serious youth violence. The materials, supported by Families Utd and the Kids Taskforce, will be available to all schools online and distributed to almost 300,000 primary school pupils in the areas most affected by knife crime.
Home Secretary Alan Johnson said:
“We are determined to rid our streets of serious youth violence. We have made some encouraging progress, most recent crime statistics show that knife murders have fallen by a third. Police action and powers are vital in tackling knife crime, but so is education and prevention – showing young people the consequences and helping them to make other choices. This week is a great opportunity for young people to take a stand against the small minority who commit these serious crimes and spread the message that they won’t tolerate knife crime. By working together we will make our streets and communities safer.”
Sally Knox, mother of Rob Knox said:
“It is an honour to work with Families United in Supporting the Count Me in Campaign. I truly believe that we need to get into schools and educate young people about street violence and respect. Together with the other families who have suffered similar tragedies and the government we can make a difference to the future of young people on our streets.”
Barry Mizen, father of Jimmy Mizen said:
“Count Me In is a chance for all the young people of this country to add their voice, and display in a tangible way, their desires to bring improvements to our communities. It is all too easy nowadays to brand young people as aggressive and confrontational, when in fact that is far from the truth and most want to show they have much to offer and can be part of the solution. We should support and encourage them as they come behind families who have lost loved ones to violent crime and are seeking to work for changes to the attitudes and actions that blight our communities. All of us have a part to play in bringing peace, whether it’s the fear we feel on our streets, or our concerns for our own children or grandchildren, or indeed our elderly relatives, and together we can.”
The schools resource pack has been created to support teachers in ways to communicate the issue of serious youth violence to their pupils. It includes guidance for running assemblies and lessons on anti-knife crime. The pack also includes an extensive list of resources from online games, videos, statistics and facts, to more detailed lesson guides, posters and real life stories to help engage pupils in anti-knife crime sessions.
What Can You Do To Help
IF YOU ARE A YOUNG PERSON, PARENT OR CONCERNED MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC
- Count yourself in – and join the group by signing up yourself by clicking here.
- Show you care by joining the Facebook group Count Me In: Together We Can Stop Knife Crime (www.facebook.com/countmein)
- Spread the word to your friends, to someone you know who is involved in or has been affected by knife crime and/or violent crime, through your school, in your community. If you’ve got a story to tell, share it here. More voices mean a bigger difference.
- See the difference you’re making, as the group grows of people like you who are saying no to knives and violence.
- Feel proud about the part you’re playing in making life safer for you and your friends, and young people across the UK.
- It Doesn’t Have To Happen, another anti-knife crime campaign, has developed a fact sheet about engaging parents and carers in anti-knife campaigns. This might be a useful tool, especially if your pupils are talking about the lessons at home. Download a fact sheet on here and learn more about how to get parents
IF YOU ARE A TEACHER, SCHOOL OR DEAL WITH YOUNG PEOPLE ON A REGULAR BASIS
- You can download the schools resource pack here
- You can visit www.teachersnet.gov.uk/countmein for more detailed information
- Download the Count Me In: Newsletter
Together we can help bring change…
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