Following the violent deaths of their children and experiencing a profound need to bring something good and positive out of something bad, affected families have come together to make a difference.

E tenebris lux. From the darkness (comes) light.

What We Think - The Families Utd blog

In memory of the families who have suffered loss – please give us 7 mins of your time to watch the film in the link below

Watch Over Me is a personal safety soap opera for secondary schools based on real-life stories and designed to help young people learn how to manage risk and stay safe.

Jimmy’s parents, TV presenter Ben Shephard,  Tottenham striker Jermain Defoe and Families Utd, as ambassadors for Kids Taskforce, are joining together to appeal to teenagers to listen to the vital messages in the film and to parents to help bring the free resource into every classroom.

The films are based on real life stories – watch out for the full versions, but for now watch this, pass it on, and if you haven’t already joined Count Me In, then please click the like button on the left hand side.

Personal safety film in memory of Jimmy Mizen

Kids Taskforce aims to set a national standard of safety education in schools and to ensure that every child in Britain receives that information. We believe that children have the right to know how they can keep themselves safe and who in the community can help them.

Once again thanks for your continued support

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In memory of the families who have suffered loss – please give us 7 mins of your time to watch the film in the link below

Thanks from all of us 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 – 35,000 fans and rising, so please continue to help us reach the magic million.

Please feel free to distribute this video as much as you want – with one proviso (they join www.facebook.com/countmein)

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Thanks from all of us at Families Utd for supporting ‘Count Me In’

Count Me In Progress

What a week that was – with 5 cities in one week & 10 schools across the country visited by various members of the Families Utd – most notably Richard & Brooke, it is fair to say the impact of Count Me In has been massive.

Starting off in London with School Minister Vernon Coaker, supported by Prime Minister Gordon Brown, the launch went very well, with it being featured on the news, and most importantly the kids really engaging with the Families and adding their name to the campaign – well done London !!!

Here is a video of the first day launch

Next up was Manchester – another busy day full of young people who wanted to talk and discuss the issues – it really shows that there is a vast decent majority out there, and as the campaign says we need to all stand together – great day in Manchester, and well done to all involved.

Weds – Birmingham – more great people, more engagement and another massive well done to Birmingham – below is a video of some of our time there…….

Liverpool followed with the week finishing off  in Nottingham.

So what has it produced – aside from the many families who are joining Families Utd (welcome to you all – together as one we can truly support each other, and make a real difference out there), and the many interesting press contact / ideas from you the public, we’ve managed to get over 30,000 people to sign up to the Facebook Page - yes that’s right 30,000 people who took it upon themselves to register their support – over 4,000 a day – amazing and just goes to show how important this issue is to the young people themselves – so keep the faith and keep pushing.

So what next? Well you know that our work is still not done – we want to get 1 million names on this site – so please please keep pushing out the message – and stay involved – all we ask is that you continue to

1) Pass out the Facebook Group address (www.facebook.com/countmein) to as many people as possible – if everyone one of the 30,000 people added just one more of their friends and they added one more – then we’d be up to 100,000 in no time – what a coup that would be for all involved
2) Alternatively (if they don’t want to go to Facebook) direct them here – www.familiesutd.com/countmein
3) If you know of anyone who has suffered a loss – then point them our way – it’s what we exist for
4) Join the conversation on our forums
5) Blog about us and the campaign

Thanks for everything – and keep pushing….together we can make a difference

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Count Me In Progress

Brooke Kinsella leads new anti-knife crime campaign aimed at school children

Courtesy of the Daily Mirror and originally written by Beth Neil

‘If telling Ben’s story stops one kid picking up a knife it’s worth it’

Count Me In campaign (Pic:DailyMirror)

A couple of years ago, Brooke Kinsella would have been better known to these children as a star of EastEnders, someone whose face they’d seen in magazines.

Today, at this South London secondary school, she’s simply Ben’s big sister.

And that is probably the best tribute you can pay her for nearly two years of tireless campaigning against knife crime since Ben, 16, was brutally stabbed to death as he celebrated the end of his GCSEs.

Brooke went back to school yesterday to talk to teenagers about the dangers of carrying blades as part of the new government-backed campaign Count Me In: Together We Can Stop Knife Crime.

Over the next few days, Brooke will visit schools in Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham and Nottingham alongside murdered Damilola Taylor’s father Richard, spreading the Count Me In word.

Information will be available online to all schools and distributed to almost 300,000 primary school pupils in the areas most affected by knife crime.

Schoolchildren will be encouraged to sign up to the campaign via Facebook, where they can access advice and support on making a stand against knives – and the thugs who carry them.

“I’m so passionate about the campaigning work I do and it’s very important to me and my family,” says Brooke. “If we can get into the schools and reach as many kids as we can, maybe what we’re doing will resonate with them.”

It’s hoped that by getting the law-abiding, hard-working children on board, they can help to positively influence youngsters who have fallen in with the wrong crowd, or may feel they need to carry a weapon for protection. The scheme was launched yesterday at South London’s Lilian Baylis Technology School, where pupils were given the opportunity to speak to both PM Gordon Brown and Home Secretary Alan Johnson about their concerns.

Representatives from Families Utd – the support group formed by the grieving relatives of young knife victims – were also there.

“This is the first day and we’re all really excited about it,” says Brooke, 26. “We’re hoping this is just the beginning – education and awareness are key. Some children have been asking me about Ben and I really value the fact that people know his name. It’s lovely for us as a family to feel he’s made his mark. If Ben’s story makes just one kid think twice about picking up a knife then this will have been worth it.”

Brooke was impressed by the bright, sparky and articulate youngsters from Lilian Baylis, who weren’t in the least bit over-awed about tackling the Prime Minister on the issues they felt needed to be addressed in their local area.

Kadija Savage, 15, pointed out that more work needed to be done on forging good relations between the police and young people. Afterwards she tells me: “I was shaking when I saw Gordon Brown but I’m pleased I got to have my say. I agree with Stop and Search but the way the police sometimes go about it is wrong. I’ve never been in trouble with the police but they make you feel like a criminal. It’s a horrible experience and it’s embarrassing.”

They shouldn’t grab us and they shouldn’t be aggressive or rude.” Her friend Jonathan Kalemba, 14, nodded in agreement. “Without us they won’t get no information,” he says. “They need to take advantage of us and if they treat people badly there’s no trust.”

Alan Johnson praised Brooke and the other members of Families Utd for their incredible tenacity in the face of unimaginable grief.

He says: “Count Me In comes from the parents and families of youngsters who have been the victims of knife crime.  They have decided that what they need is a way to get across to kids that signing up with pride is an effective way of countering this view that culturally it’s somehow cool to carry a vicious weapon that could murder or maim other people.

“The children here today are articulate and bright and they feel none of the good things they do ever get publicity. I’m constantly amazed at the maturity so many of our children show.” Addressing the group of pupils, teachers and victims’ families, Gordon Brown said: “To have thousands of pupils all around the country listening to this message is going to make a huge difference in the way people see knives in the future.

“That’s why I’m so pleased to be here with so many courageous people.”

Families Utd’s Margaret Mizen, whose son Jimmy was murdered in May 2008, told the children they were part of the solution. She says: “I’m so impressed by the young people here. We are asking you to go out and tell your friends about Count Me In. You have a voice and a part to play. We can’t do this without your help. You should all be really proud of yourselves.”

Brooke adds: “The Prime Minister said we, the families, are brave. Well, I think you’re the brave ones. I think if you stand up and say you’re not going to carry a knife, that’s brave. Let’s be part of history. We can make a difference.”

It will be 10 years this November since Damilola Taylor was killed. His father Richard, chair of Families Utd, was buoyed by the launch of Count Me In. “We are sending out a message,” he says.

In the decade since he lost his son in the cruellest of circumstances, Richard has also had to cope with the death of his wife Gloria in 2008. But he has never stopped campaigning against street violence. It is Damilola who keeps him going.

He says: “He gives me the determination. When Gloria passed away it left the burden on me, but I have a poem which Damilola wrote and I read it every day. That’s where I derive the energy to carry on, he inspires me to continue. This is something I have to fulfil.”

PUBLISHED WITH THANKS TO THE DAILY MIRROR

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Brooke Kinsella leads new anti-knife crime campaign aimed at school children

Prime Minister calls on young people to stand up and be counted in the fight against knife crime

Government joins families of victims to put an end to knife crime

Thousands of young people will be asked to join a campaign to put an end to knife crime, the Prime Minister will announce today. To launch Count Me In: Together We Can Stop Knife Crime week the Government has joined forces with Families Utd, a charitable organisation representing the families of victims of knife crime.

Join the Count Me In campaign

The Government and Families Utd aim to get thousands of young people to join an online campaign to end knife crime. Hosted through the Families Utd website and Facebook, young people will be urged to join the campaign with 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.”

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.

The founding members of Families Utd joined together to start a campaign to help other families affected by knife crime, following the tragic deaths of their children as a result of serious youth violence.

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.

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 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 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.”

Notes:

The Count Me In: Together We Can Stop Knife Crime week campaign websites are:

-   www.familiesutd.com/countmein
-   www.facebook.com/countmein
-  www.teachernet.gov.uk/countmein

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.

You can download it here

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Prime Minister calls on young people to stand up and be counted in the fight against knife crime