The College recently welcomed Alan Walsh from Anfield Boxing Club, who spoke to our students about the real effects and consequences of knife crime as part of his “Real Men Don’t Carry Knives” campaign.
Alan is a youth worker who started Anfield Boxing Club in 2007. The club’s original purpose was to help a group of young men involved in knife and gun crime and is still in operation today, giving young people a place to go for training and support.
Alan has a unique perspective on knife crime, having been stabbed himself on multiple occasions, he knows first-hand the damage a knife can do to someone, and now works with both the victims and perpetrators, and their families to better understand how to reduce this within our communities.
After speaking to the students about his own background and experiences, Alan played a hard-hitting video that displayed pictures of real-life victims of knife crime, showing the uncensored reality of how knife crime affects not only young people, but their families, friends, and even the medical staff that respond to the incidents.
The statistics were surprising for many, learning that knife crime happens every seventeen minutes in the UK, and is becoming more and more common, with males aged 14-24 most at risk.
Alan believes that education and understanding is the key to reducing the impact of knife crime in our communities. He created the “Real Men Don’t Carry Knives Campaign” in order to educate young people on the effects knife crime can have on the community, and now works with over 200,000 young people in schools and colleges alongside his team of volunteers.
For students who are looking for support, may need to discuss a problem or simply need a helping hand, our dedicated Safeguarding and Mental Health Wellbeing Team are available for support. Find out how to contact the team here.
