New partnership transforms surrendered knives into lifesaving education for schoolchildren 

Earlier today, Thursday 6 March, we were delighted to officially launch a brand-new knife crime scenario at the Lifeskills Education Centre in Bristol.

The new interactive scenario was designed to educate year 6 children to the risks of carrying a knife before making the important transition into secondary school – a setting where they may experience increased peer pressure and exposure. The activity encourages children to reflect on how they would respond to different situations and to choose the safest path to take in each scenario. They also learn how and where they can seek help if they are concerned about knife crime or somebody’s behaviour.

Avon and Somerset Police, Avon Metals and Lifeskills joined forces last year to turn surrendered knives into funding for this vital educational resource. Since 2024, the coordinated action and efforts of this local partnership has enabled the safe transportation of surrendered knives and bladed weapons to Avon Metals in Gloucester, where they are then smelted down to produce alloy ingots. The proceeds from the commercial sale of these ingots are then invested into the knife crime prevention education at the Lifeskills centre in Bristol. 

Bringing the knife crime scenario to life would not have been possible without a £5,000 grant from the Police and Crime Commissioner’s Crime Prevention Fund in partnership with the Quartet Community Foundation, dedicated to helping communities become safer. The grant has covered the initial project planning and installation costs while Avon Metals have committed £10,000 worth of funding, raised through the surrender bin scheme, to run the scenario for a year. 

The day-long event, attended by local councillors, violence reduction partnerships, South Western Ambulance Service, local charities, community groups and media representatives, also marked the official launch of the Avon and Somerset Bleed Kit Partnership in collaboration with HeartSafe UK and NHS England South West. The initiative has already placed more than 500 emergency bleed kits across the region to help save lives in trauma situations. 

Chief Inspector Mike Vass, who spearheaded this innovative initiative, said:  

“Knife crime has a devastating impact on society and we’ve seen far too many times in recent years how a young person’s decision to carry a knife has had fatal consequences, tearing families and local communities apart.  

“By exposing children to knife crime prevention education in Year 6, at a formative stage in their lives, we hope to equip them with the knowledge they need to build resilience and make safe choices inside and outside of the classroom. Even choosing to carry a knife without intending to use it makes them more vulnerable to harm.” 

Each month, more than 1,000 weapons are surrendered across the region thanks to a network of secure surrender bins. The bins enable members of the public to dispose of unwanted knives, including old kitchen knives, safely and anonymously without falling into the wrong hands.  

Chief Inspector Vass added: 

“Our partnership with Avon Metals and Lifeskills demonstrates how we can repurpose something harmful and turn it into a potentially life-saving resource. If this intervention protects just one child from the dangers of knife crime, it has made our efforts worthwhile.” 

Sam Jury, Partnership Manager at Lifeskills, said: 

“It’s a privilege to present our new knife crime scenario during Lifeskills’ 25^th anniversary year. In a climate where parents, guardians and educators alike are increasingly concerned about the risks knives pose to the children in our care, its launch is both timely and necessary. 

“At Lifeskills, our priority is, and always has been, delivering vital safety education to our community’s youngest and most vulnerable members. Aged just 10 and 11, Year 6 children are possibly at their most impressionable, so we want to empower them to make smart choices now and in the future. 

“The opportunity to collaborate on such a meaningful project with Avon and Somerset Police and Avon Metals was therefore unmissable, and we’re grateful for the funding received to bring it to fruition.” 

Each year, volunteers at Lifeskills educate more than 10,000 children at its Bristol centre on a host of important topics like road safety, fire safety, social media safety and calling the emergency services. The charity strives to make their immersive experience accessible to all primary schools across the west of England, regardless of economic situation, and rely on different funding streams to make this a reality.