The UK government has offered £1m (~€1.14m) to support charities and organisations which work to keep young people away from violent crime, as part of its fight against rising knife crime.
A recent report from the UK Office of National Statistics shows that the number of stabbings in England and Wales has risen by some 22% over the last year, the largest annual increase ever recorded. With almost 40,000 knife-related incidents taking place over the course of 2017, the government has increased its efforts to fight against rising knife crime.
Charities and youth organisations which work to educate young people about the dangers of carrying weapons and steer them away from violent crime will be able to bid for up to £30,000 in financing from a total £1m fund.
What is the UK government doing to tackle knife crime?
Recognising the need to fight against rising knife crime last year, the UK provided £765,000 in funding in 2017. The additional funding this year has been provided in response to the statistics from last year, as well as a surge in fatal stabbings in the nation’s capital, London. 36 people have been stabbed to death since the beginning of 2018 in London alone.
In April, the government launched a Serious Violence Strategy, which details the government’s approach to tackling violent crime, including knife crime, gun crime and homicide, by addressing root causes, and which has been allocated a total of £40m.
What has the government said?
The minister for Crime, Safeguarding and Vulnerability, Victoria Atkins, said that charities have a vital role to play in preventing young people from turning to violent crime, and welcomed the UK’s strategy and its focus on addressing the root causes of violence.
She said: “I have seen the fantastic work charities have delivered with the community fund and I’m thrilled the next round will allow us to build on these successes. Our Serious Violence Strategy places a new emphasis on early intervention and steering young people away from crime in the first place.”
