Knife Crime Awareness Week
The Ben Kinsella Trust, Knife Crime Awareness Week 2024, takes place from Monday 20th May - Friday 24th May 2024 and we are very pleased to be taking part and supporting the important work that the Trust do. This week-long initiative aims to shed light on the detrimental effects of knife crime while providing educational resources about its risks and consequence, and Olympus Secondary schools have been working together to plan a series of events throughout the week and we will be posting on social media to share activities, photographs and parent specific information.
We are raising money for the Ben Kinsella Trust this week and all tutor groups have been asked to bring in any loose change (2p and 1p coins) as we will be creating a giant K in the playground, full of this change, in memory of Ben as a symbol of how important it is stay safe and talk about any concerns you have about knives.
If you don’t already, you can follow us on our Facebook page or on X @WinterbourneAc1 so you can keep up to date.
This is an important week in our safeguarding calendar and we hope you can offer us your support.
The Ben Kinsella Trust have provided this useful guide covering what to do if you're worried your child is involved in knife crime, practical tips and conversation starters, and lots of support contacts : 'A guide to knife harm for parents and carers'.
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Ben Kinsella was just 16 years old when he was stabbed to death in a horrific act of senseless violence on 29th June 2008.
Ben had been out at a local pub to celebrate the end of his GCSEs with his friends. On their way home, he and his friends realised they were being followed by three older teenagers. Scared and worried, they decided to run home.
But the older teenagers chased after them. They were seeking revenge for an altercation in the club that had taken place earlier that evening. Ben and his friends had absolutely nothing to do with the altercations but when the older boys caught up with Ben, in an entirely unprovoked attack, they stabbed him to death.
Ben was the 17th teenager to be killed in London that year.
