Together For Change
2024Four news brands across Bristol – BristolLive, Bristol World, Bristol 24/7 and the Bristol Cable – came together to launch the campaign ‘Together For Change’ in a joint bid to tackle knife crime in their city patch. The campaign was launched after the tragic deaths of three 16-year-olds to knife crime in Bristol across 18 days in January and February.
The campaign calls for the review of regulations around harmful knife-related content on social media and to review how knife crime is linked to poverty, social exclusion and the collapse in youth services. BristolLive launched a petition calling for people to back their campaign and take a stand against knife crime.
BristolLive noted that they had reported on an incident involving a knife on average more than once a week, with many of these incidents ending seriously.
The four news brands penned an open letter to the city setting out their plans. They propose to:
- Set up a task force – We will develop a community-driven task force to meet and discuss the issue, how best to tackle it and how we can make a real difference with those in power.
- Getting knives off the street – We will work with the campaigners to raise awareness of initiatives designed to get knives off the streets.
- Social media – We will look at the Online Safety Bill and see if it goes far enough where it comes to harmful knife-related content on social media and how easy it is for children to see.
- Raise awareness – We will work together to raise the awareness of how knife crime is linked to poverty, education, employment, social exclusion and the collapse in youth services
- Lobby the government -We will cover the issue in the context of the General Election, using our findings from the taskforce and our reporting to lobby for change
- Hold power to account – We will scrutinise and hold Avon and Somerset Police and Bristol City Council to account on their plans and models to make Bristol safer
BristolLive editor Pete Gavan said: “I knew it was something we had to campaign on, but that it would take time to get it right.
“While I was planning it I thought it would be great if we – the Bristol media – along with those across the city who know the issue best – could join forces and present a united front.
“After contacting the other publishers they quickly came on board. It’s been great working closely together on setting out the objectives of the campaign and getting the initial buy-in from community leaders. It’s a complex issue and collaborating really helped us drill down on what mattered which was working with the community, rather than just talking ‘at’ them.
“We’ll continue to work together as the campaign develops. This is not a quick fix and we’re all here for the long haul.”
Supporters of the campaign include Leanne Reynolds, Knife crime campaigner, Reverend Dr Dawnecia Palmer, Abdul Malik, Chairperson/Trustee, Easton Jamia Masjid, Mohamed Makawi, Green Party Councillor for Cotham, Patrick Hart, CEO of BCfm and E-Com Media, Desmond Brown, Director, Growing Futures Martin Bisp, Empire Fighting Chance, Nicky Edmondson, Chief Executive Officer for Excalibur Academies Trust, Bristol Rovers Community Trust, Neil Blundell, CEO, Cathedral Schools Trust, and Neil Maggs, Bristol journalist and former community worker.
Bristol World reporter Charlie Watts said: “Many in Bristol have been speaking out against knife crime for ages and now is the time they were finally listened to by the powers that be. Whether that’s reopening youth clubs, installing knife amnesty bins or promoting life-saving bleed kits, we need to be taking proactive steps to tackle this epidemic plaguing our city.
“We cannot afford to lose any more young lives. We need to be supporting those initiatives that are making our streets a safer place to live and creating a better future for our youth. It is only by working together we can achieve that change.”
Ellie Pipe, deputy editor of Bristol24/7, said: “Against a backdrop of cuts to public services and youth provision, knife crime is devastating families and communities. We hope that by coming together, highlighting this vital work, collaborating with campaigners and stakeholders and putting pressure on those in power, we can start to make a difference.
“We certainly don’t have all the answers. This campaign is as much about listening, collaborating and providing a platform as it is taking action, but our collective message is clear, we want to understand the root causes of knife crime and tackle this issue and its heartbreaking impact.”
Sean Morrison, reporter at the Bristol Cable, said: “Knife violence among young people is a national issue that’s as complex as it is devastating, and it doesn’t exist in isolation. It’s set in a wider social context where insecure housing, exclusion from education, unemployment, addiction, mental health issues, and the impact of government cuts are factors at the heart of the problem.
“We want to better understand the social issues that underpin the knife epidemic in the city and amplify the voices of those most deeply affected, working with communities, authorities and charities to build on a local effort to make a real difference.”
