The Church is urging communities to remember victims of knife-crime as the Knife Angel arrives at Rochester Cathedral
View and download pictures of the Knife Angel's arrival here
The country’s first Commemorative Service remembering the victims of knife crime is to feature in the month-long programme of events organised by the Church of England in Medway and north west Kent; these include a powerful knife sculpture, prayer vigils, an exhibition and a day conference with leading experts in the field.
The national service, on 21 September in Rochester Cathedral, will bring together victims’ families to pay solemn tribute to those who have lost their lives and to serve as a warning, especially to young people, of the dangers of knife crime.
Anyone who has been affected by knife crime is warmly invited to attend.
The Bishop of Rochester, the Rt Rev James Langstaff, says although the message is stark, the realities of knife crime have a huge and devastating impact on peoples’ lives:
“People come through our schools and church buildings for a variety of reasons and so what is clear is that as a Church, we need to make sure that we are working in a joined-up way in order to support those who have been affected by knife crime and to prevent more lives being destroyed.”
The service dovetails with the visit of the ‘Knife Angel’, a 27-foot tall sculpture made from 100,000 confiscated knives, which will be on display in the Cathedral’s gardens from 2nd September to the 29th September.
It is the sculpture's first visit to the South East
Schools across Medway and beyond have been invited to special viewings aimed at alerting young people to the dangers of carrying a knife; as part of their visit, students will be invited to sign a pledge committing to never carry a knife.
Dean Phillip Hesketh says: “We are fortunate to have the Knife Angel coming to the Cathedral. It has already visited many other cathedrals and has provided a valuable opportunity to raise awareness of the devastating effects of knife crime. We hope that it will bring people together in Medway to address what is becoming a national crisis.”
Also in September the Church will host ‘The Point Conference’, a one-day event at Chatham Dockyard on 13 September bringing together leading experts to talk about solutions to the complex issue of knife crime. Chaired by the Rt Rev Simon Burton-Jones, Bishop of Tonbridge, it is aimed at educationalists and parents/carers.
Revd Nathan Ward, who leads a knife-crime prevention project in Medway and has organised the events says: “It’s important to recognise that knife crime is not a solely youth issue. Contrary to popular belief, 99% of young people aged between 10 and 21 years do not carry a knife.
“The young people I have spoken to who do carry a knife however, say that they do so because they feel unsafe, even though we live historically in one of the safest times humans have ever known. We’ve got to ask ourselves, ‘how can this be?’’’
- Churches and people of faith are encouraged to hold prayer vigils with a focus on knife crime and the victims of knife crime during the month. A regular presence of prayer will also take place alongside the Knife Angel itself.
- The Knife Angel monument was created in collaboration with the Home Office and with the help of all 43 UK police constabularies, families of victims and the British IronWork Centre.