By Kendall Brown
Islington parents who have lost their children to knife crime attended Emirates Stadium to stand in solidarity with Arsenal’s No More Red campaign, which is a campaign that strives to tackle the root causes of youth violence and provide safe spaces and more opportunities for our young people.
Gathered at Emirates Stadium were parent champions from the Violence Reduction Unit-funded Islington, Camden Parent Champions Support Project and the parent support group: Love and Loss.
Also in attendance were Cllr Kaya Comer-Schwartz, Leader of the Islington Council, and Linzi Roberts-Egan, the council’s Chief Executive.
Cllr Comer-Schwartz said: “I was humbled and honoured to see – and be part of – this important show of unity at The Emirates yesterday, alongside local people who have personal experience of the devastating effects of knife crime and who have gone on to support other parents affected by it.
“It was an especially poignant moment as this month also marks the first and third anniversaries of the deaths of two of our young people due to knife crime.”
Islington Council works closely with Arsenal in the Community and with the Arsenal Foundation, which has funded a knife bin near the stadium in Hornsey Road.
The knife bin is one of eight across the borough that has taken more than 1,000 knives and other bladed items off the streets since October 2020.
The No More Red campaign has already seen positive impacts, such as in Islington with the refurbishment of the much-loved football pitch on the Harvist Estate, near Emirates Stadium.
Freddie Hudson, Head of Community, Arsenal in the Community, said: “The No More Red campaign launched by Arsenal and Adidas builds on our long-standing work by investing in more quality, safe spaces and educational opportunities that help individuals make better, informed choices about their future.”
