Round 2 For The S.H.A.R.P Project Programme

This month young people from our 12-Rounds programme experienced a second anti-knife crime workshop as part of the S.H.A.R.P Project. Created in partnership with Imperial College London and The Prince’s Trust, the S.H.A.R.P Project uses interactive teaching workshops to educate young people about the risks of carrying a knife and how to safely avoid gang interventions.

The first workshop used V.R headsets, group discussion and painting to explore the case study of a young man named Adam who was the victim of a knife attack in 2016. The second workshop continues to use Adam’s story, but instead uses actors to replicate the medical events after Adam’s attack that saved him from a near fatal stab wound to his stomach.

After being resuscitated by paramedics in the street, Adam received a complex surgery that left him with a colonoscopy bag. In the workshop, the actors perform out the entire scenario to the young people whilst medical professionals explain what is happening. One young person shared: “It was very interesting to watch because I was able to learn from another persons experience and and understand that a knife wound isn’t just being physically stabbed its very mentally traumatic as well.”

We recently welcomed a new Coach Mentor named Hamid to our 12 Rounds programme. Hamid was a young person on our Street Elite programme when he became the victim of a knife attack himself. At the workshop, Hamid boldly stood in front of the young people to educate them on his own mental and physical recovery in the years following his attack. One of the teachers from the school shared: “This workshop was amazing and we are so grateful to Hamid for sharing his story… it’s inspiring that Hamid made a recovery and is going on to use his experience to help our communities.”

Hamid’s ability to develop relationships with the young people has only enhanced the positive impact of the S.H.A.R.P project on young people. Our charity understands the importance of having coach mentors that the young people can relate to. Dean is another Coach Mentor on the 12 Rounds programme and has a natural ability to develop trusting relationships with the young people that he coaches. When the young people aren’t taking part in these workshops, Dean works with them using boxercise to educate them around knife crime and avoiding gang intervention. Dean shared: “It has been a pleasure to work on such an important programme and help educate young people on such an important social issue.”

Relationships between Imperial College London and our charity have continued to go strength to strength as we together and we have successfully enrolled this programme in to four London schools so far. We hope to work together with Imperial College London to create a referral pathway so that young people can access amateur boxing clubs in East and West London after they complete the 12-week programme. Additionally, we hope to create more opportunities within our charity for young people to become Young Ambassadors and access work experience opportunities.

To hear more about the 12 Rounds programme please contact our Community Programme Manager Ross Defoe.

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