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The St Leonards Academy Partners with Project Youth to Combat Knife Crime

The St Leonards Academy Partners with Project Youth to Combat Knife Crime

The St Leonards Academy is proud to announce the successful conclusion of a transformative 6-week programme aimed at educating and preventing knife crime among young people. The initiative that ended just before the summer break, in collaboration with Carl Scott and Project Youth, has made a significant positive impact on their students and the broader community.

Knife crime is a pressing societal issue affecting communities nationwide, often involving young people. Recognising the importance of addressing this issue, the safeguarding team at the academy worked diligently with Project Youth to deliver a comprehensive educational programme. The results have been inspiring and profound.

In the last week of the term, the BBC visited The St Leonards Academy to film a session featuring Project Youth and Martin Cosser. Martin's involvement in this project holds a deep personal significance. Last July, Martin's son, Charlie Cosser, tragically lost his life after being stabbed at a party. In the wake of this heartbreaking event, Martin vowed to honour Charlie's memory by raising awareness and educating others about the devastating consequences of knife crime. This commitment led to the creation of "Charlie's Promise."

During the filmed session, Martin courageously shared his story with the St Leonard’s students, detailing the traumatic impact of Charlie's death on his family and the wider community. His heartfelt message deeply moved everyone present, underscoring the urgent need for continued education and prevention efforts.

The session's powerful impact will be broadcast on the BBC later this summer, allowing a wider audience to witness the importance of this initiative. Additionally, two students were interviewed for the radio, where they spoke about the significance of this learning experience. Josie Hannott, Senior Reporter from BBC South East, contacted the academy post interview commenting “Both AJ and Jared were confident, honest, relaxed and I really appreciated them taking their time out to chat to me. Especially for their age!”

A parent further emphasised their appreciation for the programme, explaining “I can’t express what a difference this course has made to my son’s outlook on life and his decisions. He has distanced himself from the people who have had a hand in the ‘bad’ choices he was making. None of this would have been possible without you getting Carl in to run the course. Without his influence, I may have lost the son I raised.”

The academy extends their heartfelt thanks to Carl Scott, Project Youth, Martin Cosser, and the BBC for their invaluable contributions to this crucial cause.

You can find out more about Charlie’s Promise and Project Youth by visiting the following links:

https://www.charliespromise.org

https://projectyouth.co.uk