Last night we held our Words Over Weapons Showcase - what an amazing night! The event was attended by over 150 people from Leicestershire County Council, Leicestershire Police, Public Health, local schools and communities. The nerves in the audience were palpable - so many talented young people going onto stage for the first time in their lives to perform poetry they had written - sharing their innermost thoughts and feelings with the world. Within the audience we had young people and families who have experienced the devastating impact of knife crime and it was of the utmost importance that these young people were given a voice. The event was a culmination of 6 months of hard work by the WOW team and the 52 anti-knife crime Young Ambassadors that have been have recruited from 9 different schools and young peoples groups. The evening outlined the successes the project has achieved in changing mind-sets and behaviours around carrying knives amongst young people and showcased performances by young people who have been mentored to write Spoken Word pieces on their personal experiences and messages around knife crime. The performances made for powerful testimony. The amazing WOW film scripted and starring all of the young people was also unveiled.

The Deputy Crime Commissioner presented the Young Ambassadors with certificates to acknowledge their vital role in being the voice of young people on this important issue. All in all, an inspiring and touching night... A phenomenal way to bring our Home Office funded phase of the project to a close.