A powerful new campaign showcasing the collective grief experienced by those affected by knife crime is being launched across the county.
“When you carry a knife, no one wins” is a video commissioned by the Northamptonshire Serious Violence Prevention Partnership (NSVPP) seeking to deter young people from carrying a knife.
It is the centrepiece of the campaign, aiming to encourage young people to not carry or use a knife by highlighting the devastating impact of knife crime. It showcases the small, everyday moments that families and friends lose after someone has died as a result of knife crime.
The campaign was developed through a series of focus groups and workshops held with young people across the county, ensuring that the messaging authentically reflects their experiences and resonates with their reality.
Northamptonshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Danielle Stone said: “The power of this campaign is that it was shaped by young people for young people – it speaks to the devastating consequences of carrying a knife in a way that is meaningful to them.
The Northamptonshire Serious Violence Prevention Partnership (NSVPP), formed in 2023, includes: Northamptonshire police, Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service, Youth Offending and Probation Services, Northamptonshire Integrated Care Board, North Northamptonshire Council, West Northamptonshire Council with the Northamptonshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner. The partnership aims to stabilise and reduce serious violence, and to understand the underlying causes of violence in the county.
The campaign video produced my Menace Media, premiered at Northampton Museum on 21 May at an event which also showcased the perspectives of young people and professionals on knife crime. The aim was to highlight how a single decision to carry a knife can result in irreversible consequences that extend far beyond those directly involved, impacting families, friends, and entire communities.
Cheri Curran, whose 17-year-old son, Louis-Ryan Menezes died in 2018, said “There is no pain like losing your child to knife crime but seeing everyone come together for this campaign gives me hope. This campaign is getting to the heart of it. It shows what’s really at stake and how carrying a knife can change everything.
The video is from the perspective of young people—it shows that forever pain. I hope that through this we can reach them and stop another family from living with that heartache and loss.”
