REDDITCH anti-knife crime campaigner Pete Martin has been chosen to lead the Neighbourhood Board, responsible for the Pride in Place regeneration plans for Woodrow and Greenlands.
In October 2025, the council was awarded up to £20million over 10 years from the UK Government as part of the Pride in Place programme.
The decisions on how the cash is spent will be taken by a Neighbourhood Board made up of people who live and work in the area, with Pete leading it.
Working side-by-side with the community, they will create a shared vision for the future and use the funding to bring that vision to life.
Pete has campaigned against knife crime for 16 years after witnessing his best friend being stabbed multiple times in 2011.
He visits schools and colleges across Redditch, Bromsgrove and North Worcestershire, educating young people about the dangers and consequences of knife crime. He has spoken to 60,000 young people since his Drop The Knife began.
Pete has been at the forefront of anti-knife crime campaigns in the town and has recently been installing bleed kits throughout the community.
The kits, endorsed by West Midland Ambulance Service, are used by the public in the event of a stabbing.
As well as launching the kits, in 2024 he opened a youth centre, to help support for young people in danger of being involved in crime or those who had been a victim.
The project, on Britten Street, has gone from strength-to-strength with schools having regular weekly slots at the centre, where they experience positive activities and anti-knife crime education.
The centre offers free family boxing sessions, self defence training and sessions for older people.
It is also the base for Pete’s drop-the-knife scheme and there is a weapon amnesty bin which has collected hundreds of blades, including banned items.
He said: “Greenlands and Woodrow mean a lot to me, so I’m really pleased to be taking on this role.
“I’ve seen first-hand the passion and pride people have for the area and this funding gives us a real chance to build on that.
“I’m looking forward to listening to residents, bringing people together, and making sure the community helps shape what comes next.”
Town MP Chris Bloore welcomed the news.
He said: “I am absolutely thrilled someone of Pete’s calibre has been selected to lead the Neighbourhood Board.
“He was an outstanding candidate and is well-known for his community work in Woodrow and across Redditch, fighting knife crime.
“When I secured this funding, the biggest direct financial investment into Redditch in memory, I made a promise it was for local people to decide how it would be spent.
“Pete is hugely respected in the local community and across Redditch, and I can’t wait to work with him and local residents to deliver this critical investment.”
