'Young people are not thinking of life': Anti-knife crime group hope 'lives over knives’ message hits home with Peterborough youth

A postponed anti-knife crime event organised to spread a vital “lives over knives” message has been rescheduled for September.

The event organised by Black History Month Peterborough was due to go ahead on Saturday, 15 July.

Unfortunately, heavy rain and high winds forced organisers to cancel the gathering and subsequent march.

The rescheduled event, which is supported by Peterborough City Council, will now be held in Cathedral Square on Saturday, September 16.

Community leaders, youth MPs, police representatives and members of the Peterborough Racial Equality Council will kick things off with speeches around midday.

This will be followed by music, poetry and dance, and rounded off – road closures permitting – by a march through the city centre.

Bernadetta Omondi, chairperson of Black History Month Peterborough and Peterborough Racial Equality Council told the Peterborough Telegraph that the menace of knife crime is “a dreadful thing.”

“Young people are not thinking of life,” she said: “people are dying - it’s for real.”

Bernadetta believes fear is one of the key reasons so many young people carry knives.

“Youths are using ‘sharps’ - I use the word ‘sharps’ as they even use screwdrivers - out of fear, “ she said: “they are scared they might be attacked by somebody.”

The ever-busy community ambassador, who regularly gives awareness talks with police officers at schools and churches, said ignorance is another driver behind knife crime.

To illustrate her point, she talks of a recent visit she made to a church to speak with 20 youngsters: “They were shocked to find out that, if they are caught with knives, they can go to prison,” she notes disbelievingly.

Bernadetta says parents too have a role to play in helping to hammer home the ‘lives over knives’ message.

“Parents don’t take notice of it,” she laments, “they think it’s so far away from them.”

While Bernadetta has greater insight into this shocking issue than most, she is unable to suggest a resolution.

“I don’t know the solution,” she acknowledges, “but if we can save just one person by sending our message to them, then I will be pleased.”

“Let’s all unite together to see how we can solve this problem.”