REDDITCH campaigner Pete Martin has marked 15 years of fighting knife crime in the borough.
Pete has campaigned against the issue since 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 case of a stabbing.
Pete said: “We can fight this – our area has seen a 15 per cent reduction in knife crime and a 14 per cent reduction in hospital admissions related to sharp objects which is an important figure.
“Knife crime is still far too common and the fight has only just started. We will get incidents and we must do more. The negative posts on social media can create fear in our young people – let’s stay positive.”
Pete recently met with ex-boxer Frank Bruno, and said he was inspired by Frank’s work to fight mental health issues.
He is working on a new project soon in partnership with Public Health England, Redditch Police and Redditch Borough Council.
