Latest news with #MyTomorrow
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Yahoo
Hundreds of children hear knife crime message
Hundreds of children from Wolverhampton have been hearing the stories of people who have been involved in gangs and knife crime. The 10 to 16-year-olds also heard from Nikita Kanda, the sister of Ronana Kanda, a 16-year-old murdered in 2022 in a case of mistaken identity. She said: "I really hope that kids can take away the fact that if this can happen to Ronan it can happen to anyone, so we need to work together to combat it." The day was organised by the City of Wolverhampton Council, as part of the youth-led My Tomorrow campaign. The project has brought together dozens of organisations, including the Inpower Academy CIC, a martial arts group in Wolverhampton that campaigns to stop knife crime. Its founder, Daryl Chambers, said it had carried out a survey and most of the young people it spoke to "know someone within their friendship circle carrying a knife". Kairo Williams, another of the speakers, was 14 when he became involved in gang violence. He is 18 now and said: "You don't realise until you branch out how really bad it is, because it's so normalised to you that it's just normal. I'd say deadly to be honest." The event encouraged young people not to carry a knife, just to feel safe. At the same time, the Violence Reduction Partnership is spending £70,000 to help schools across the West Midlands, educating children as young as six. Follow BBC Wolverhampton & Black Country on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram. Ex-gang members share experience at youth event Teens sentenced to life in mistaken identity murder City of Wolverhampton Council My Tomorrow campaign
BBC News
09-04-2025
- BBC News
Hundreds of Wolverhampton children hear knife crime message
Hundreds of children from Wolverhampton have been hearing the stories of people who have been involved in gangs and knife 10 to 16-year-olds also heard from Nikita Kanda, the sister of Ronana Kanda, a 16-year-old murdered in 2022 in a case of mistaken identity. She said: "I really hope that kids can take away the fact that if this can happen to Ronan it can happen to anyone, so we need to work together to combat it."The day was organised by the City of Wolverhampton Council, as part of the youth-led My Tomorrow campaign. The project has brought together dozens of organisations, including the Inpower Academy CIC, a martial arts group in Wolverhampton that campaigns to stop knife founder, Daryl Chambers, said it had carried out a survey and most of the young people it spoke to "know someone within their friendship circle carrying a knife". Kairo Williams, another of the speakers, was 14 when he became involved in gang is 18 now and said: "You don't realise until you branch out how really bad it is, because it's so normalised to you that it's just normal. I'd say deadly to be honest."The event encouraged young people not to carry a knife, just to feel the same time, the Violence Reduction Partnership is spending £70,000 to help schools across the West Midlands, educating children as young as six. Follow BBC Wolverhampton & Black Country on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Yahoo
Ex-gang members share experience at youth event
Schoolchildren will be given the opportunity to hear from people with lived experience of gangs and knife crime at an anti-violence talk. The My Tomorrow campaign will bring together youth mentors and students, aged 10 to 16, at the Molineux Stadium on Wednesday to inform them of the risks of carrying a knife. The event has been organised by the City of Wolverhampton Council - the authority's youth council members also helped plan the event. Sienna Ahir, Youth MP for Wolverhampton, said it was difficult as a young person to have their voices impact major policies as: "We are told we are too young or too naive, but the campaign is giving us a platform." She added: "Young people who have been through the system as both victims and perpetrators often get trapped in that cycle, so it's not surprising young people wanted to hear from mentors with lived experience." Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows the force had 165 reported knife and sharp instrument offences per 100,000 people from October 2023 to September 2024. Reported knife crime fell by 6% compared to last year. Warren Sutherland, who volunteers at Wolverhampton's Drug and Alcohol Service, will share his story of a three-decade drug addiction and time spent in prison for violent crimes. "Plenty of people have told me I wasted 35 years of my life because of addiction, but I know those years weren't wasted because something good has come out of it; I've made it mean something. "I want the young people to know there is nothing glamorous about the life I led. "It nearly killed me, and that, however hard things get, you can get through and ask for help," he said. Follow BBC Wolverhampton & Black Country on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram. Lured into knife crime - 'I was promised power and money' West Midlands force has highest knife crime rate Office for National Statistics City of Wolverhampton Council My Tomorrow campaign
BBC News
08-04-2025
- BBC News
Ex-gang members share experience at Wolverhampton youth event
Schoolchildren will be given the opportunity to hear from people with lived experience of gangs and knife crime at an anti-violence My Tomorrow campaign will bring together youth mentors and students, aged 10 to 16, at the Molineux Stadium on Wednesday to inform them of the risks of carrying a event has been organised by the City of Wolverhampton Council - the authority's youth council members also helped plan the Ahir, Youth MP for Wolverhampton, said it was difficult as a young person to have their voices impact major policies as: "We are told we are too young or too naive, but the campaign is giving us a platform." She added: "Young people who have been through the system as both victims and perpetrators often get trapped in that cycle, so it's not surprising young people wanted to hear from mentors with lived experience."Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows the force had 165 reported knife and sharp instrument offences per 100,000 people from October 2023 to September knife crime fell by 6% compared to last Sutherland, who volunteers at Wolverhampton's Drug and Alcohol Service, will share his story of a three-decade drug addiction and time spent in prison for violent crimes."Plenty of people have told me I wasted 35 years of my life because of addiction, but I know those years weren't wasted because something good has come out of it; I've made it mean something."I want the young people to know there is nothing glamorous about the life I led. "It nearly killed me, and that, however hard things get, you can get through and ask for help," he said. Follow BBC Wolverhampton & Black Country on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
08-03-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Primary school girls get chance to train at Aston Villa
A girls' football team is marking International Women's Day with a training session at Aston Croft Academy, in Newtown, Birmingham, was one of a number of primary schools invited to play at Aston Villa's Inner City event was one in a series to help young female footballers to make memories, while promoting equality and inclusion in the Croft's first girls' football team was set up by PE teacher Tori-Ellis Willetts, a former British Army soldier and championship boxer. She said it was to help the students follow their dreams. The 29-year-old, who also offers one-on-one boxing sessions with pupils who are struggling at school, is working with the My Tomorrow project, funded by the West Midlands Violence Reduction Partnership (VRP), aims to improve the life chances of young people in inner-city Birmingham and beyond."It enables the students to experience other things in life, outside of the classroom and raises their aspirations, rather than them thinking they can't achieve something, or just settle for what they've got so far," she said."Football is great fun and it encourages me to stay active," 10-year-old Sahar said."We have had chances to go to so many places and try, not just football, but boxing and basketball too." Chilwell Croft Academy has access to the state-of-the-art facilities at the Villa academy since the school joined the club's Premier League Primary Stars Beckett, schools manager for the Aston Villa Foundation, said its opening last year had been a highlight for staff and students."The facilities we have been able to use have given our events, beyond our core programme delivery, the wow factor and a positive lasting effect on the pupils who have taken part," she said."Celebrating campaigns such as International Women's Day helps to empower the girls in the local communities around Villa Park, showcasing how female involvement in football and sport is increasing."Police and Crime Commissioner for the West Midlands, Simon Foster, who chairs the Violence Reduction Partnership's strategic board, said the celebrations of International Women's Day at Aston Villa shows the power of sport in young people's lives, and highlights the importance of collaboration."Tori is a great role model to her pupils and her work aligns perfectly with the aims of the My Tomorrow campaign, which has engaged thousands of young people in positive activities, not only through sport, but also careers fairs, youth summits and with the launch of a new educational programme in schools." Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
