By Eric King-
Seized knives in the borough of Newham will be transformed in front of hundreds of people at a special community event in East Ham.
Young people at ‘Let’s Beat Knives!’ are to create the pieces with the guidance of an expert metalsmith and two blacksmiths at Bonny Downs Community Association Community Gardens in Wellington Road.
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The event is to be organised by Red Letter Christians in the UK- a network of Christian Churches that aim to take a public stand against the knife crime epidemic claiming several teenage lives on the streets of London, Birmingham, and other cities in the Uk. Organisers have been giving out leaflets in East London, concentrating on East Ham, Barking, Stratford, Plaistow, and Forest Gate.
They have already arranged for hundreds of youths to attend the event where a number of speakers will address the spate of knife crime that has traumatised too many families over the years. The event is being conducted in response to statistics revealed in April showing the disturbing heights to which knife crime has surged to the highest levels since records began in England and Wales. Figures just two months ago showed that Murder and manslaughter figures had reached a 10-year high in 2018, when 732 people were killed.
British Police that year recorded almost 44,500 offences involving knives or sharp weapons . The figures indicated a 6% rise that included 252 homicides and 368 attempted murders. They further revealed the sue of knives in more than 400 rapes in the year to December, as well as 150 other sexual assaults.
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“The volume of knife crime offences has increased by 33 per cent since the year ending March 2011,” the Office for National Statistics said, the earliest year for which there is comparable data.
SICK
A joint statement by Dr Sally Mann is the pastor of Bonny Downs Baptist Church in Vicarage Lane, East Ham, and the spokeswoman for Red Letter Christians in the UK read: “We are sick and tired of seeing so much violence in our local communities. It’s life-destroying and it’s soul-destroying. It’s time for all of us to take a stand.
“We will also amplify the voices of remarkable local people who are doing amazing small things every day to fight for their community and for social justice.”
‘Let’s Beat Knives!’ takes place on June 15 at 12.30pm
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