Crewe Town Council is working in partnership with the Safer Cheshire East Partnership and Crewe Local Policing Unit to bring the renowned Knife Angel sculpture to Crewe this spring. In summer 2022, Crewe Town Council was approached by the local Beat Sergeant for Crewe to request support to bring the Knife Angel to Crewe. It is hoped that the presence of the statue and accompanying programme of engagement will inspire social change not only in Crewe but also the wider area.
Created by sculptor Alfie Bradley in conjunction with the British Ironwork Centre, the Knife Angel has been created from 100,000 seized blades collected by 43 police constabularies. The sculpture is multi-purpose, helping to educate communities about the negative impacts of knife crime whilst also acting as a poignant memorial to those who have lost their lives to knife crime. During its visit, young people will be encouraged to sign up as Anti-Violence Ambassadors.
The Knife Angel will be located on Memorial Square between Wednesday 3rd and Wednesday 31st May 2023. There will be an opening ceremony to welcome the angel and a torchlit ceremony will be held at the end of the month to signal the closing of the event.
Funding for the project has been given by Crewe Town Council and the Safer Cheshire East Partnership supported through funding from the Police Crime Commissioner’s Office.
A supporting programme of activities is also planned for the month:
- Theatre activities, gang culture workshops and engagement in local schools
- First aid demonstrations and training (including use of defibrillators and bleed kits)
- Knife amnesty
- Safe space bus
These activities are currently in the planning stage and announcements will be made via the Crewe Town Council Knife Angel webpage:
https://www.crewetowncouncil.gov.uk/whats-on-events/knife-angel/
A spokesperson at Crewe Town Council said:
“The Knife Angel has toured major cities in the UK and to bring it to Crewe is an ambitious undertaking. We are excited to see it come to our town and hope that it will draw a lot of people from the surrounding areas and that they will take the opportunity to view the sculpture during its residency here.”
A representative of Cheshire Constabulary commented:
“Bringing the Knife Angel to Crewe is a great achievement to all of those involved. During the month of May 2023 Cheshire Constabulary will be assisting with community events aimed at educating people about the dangers of knife crime and promoting anti-knife crime messaging. If you are a charity, community youth group or organisation and are interested in the knife angel and its message please feel free to contact us so we can discuss how you can be involved with the project.”
Cllr Mick Warren, Chair of Cheshire East Council’s Environment and Communities Committee and lead member for the Safer Cheshire East Partnership said:
“The Knife Angel initiative provides an excellent opportunity to raise awareness around this serious issue and deliver important preventative work to reduce levels of incidents involving knives. The Safer Cheshire East Partnership is committed to making Cheshire a safer place to both live and work.”
Police & Crime Commissioner for Cheshire, John Dwyer, said:
“I’m pleased to be able to support bringing the Knife Angel to Crewe. It’s vital to get the message out there to young people especially that carrying a knife does not make you safer. I look forward to seeing people engaging with the workshops and activity sessions that will help to prevent and tackle knife crime in Cheshire.”
More information about the Knife Angel can be found here:
https://www.britishironworkcentre.co.uk/the-knife-angel-official/
Image credits: British Ironwork Centre.
