On Saturday, 12 July, members of the local community gathered at St Mellitus Church in Tollington Park, for a memorial service commemorating those who had lost their lives to knife crime.
Attendees included local residents, bereaved parents, parishioners, leaders of nearby mosques, and representatives from charities such as Caritas Westminster. The service began with short speeches by Catherine West MP, Islington Councillor Anjna Khurana, and Sandra Campbell, CEO of Word 4 Weapons.
Campbell spoke movingly on the persistence of knife crime and its effects on young people, families and society. She explained how Word 4 Weapons works to tackle this issue by setting up knife bins in locations across London and the UK, including outside St Mellitus Church and elsewhere in the Diocese of Westminster.
Describing knife crime as an ‘epidemic,’ Catherine West, MP for Hornsey and Friern Barnet, stressed that ‘everyone deserves to feel safe in their neighbourhood and community.’ She praised the efforts of Word 4 Weapons, whose knife bins have contributed to the removal of tens of thousands of knives from the streets, and thanked the parish for fostering hope and unity in the face of tragedy. She noted: ‘It’s all about building stronger, more connected communities; that should be everyone’s mission.’
Speeches were followed by a solemn reading of the names of 50 victims, while young people lit candles for each and placed these on the steps of the church. Spanning 2007 to 2025, the eldest victim was 30, while many were teenagers and the youngest just 14.
Though unable to attend, Jeremy Corbyn, MP for Islington North, released the following statement for the occasion:
We can only defeat knife crime through education, understanding, and a sense of community that makes sure that all young people have purposeful activities and options available to them… Our churches and other community groups do essential work in trying to build these communities, and I commend them for that.
