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Ben Kinsella Trust announces that Knife Crime Awareness Week (18 – 24th May) will run alongside National Police Chiefs’ Council Sceptre Week, the twice-yearly national policing initiative that sees forces across England and Wales carry out enforcement activity, community engagement, weapons surrender schemes and intelligence-led operations aimed at reducing knife crime and protecting communities.
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The partnership highlights the important range of knife crime reduction activities taking place across the country, demonstrating a coordinated response across multiple agencies, from frontline policing and education to early intervention and grassroots support.
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Throughout the week, organisations, schools, police forces, charities and individuals will be encouraged to sign the pledge, share their work and support local activity focused on prevention and youth safety.
The Ben Kinsella Trust has announced that Knife Crime Awareness Week 2026 will take place from 18 to 24 May alongside National Police Chiefs’ Council Sceptre Week, combining policing, prevention and community action in a coordinated effort to tackle knife crime.
At the centre of this year’s campaign is a national pledge calling on schools, youth organisations, charities, businesses, faith groups, sports clubs and trusted adults to commit to taking meaningful action to help keep young people safe.
By signing the Knife Crime Awareness Week pledge, individuals and organisations commit to engaging young people in honest conversations about knife crime, challenging harmful myths, promoting non-violent alternatives and ensuring young people know where to access support.
Crime and Policing Minister Sarah Jones said: “For me, Knife Crime Awareness Week is about bringing people together to protect young people and stop violence before it starts. That commitment sits at the heart of this government’s Halving Knife Crime Plan – saving lives, transforming the futures of young people and protecting communities across the country.
“Knife crime is down by 10 per cent since the start of this government and knife enabled homicides are at their lowest levels in a decade but I know more needs to be done. Trusted adults play a vital role in guiding young people and challenging harmful myths, and I thank the Ben Kinsella Trust, police, educators and community groups for their tireless work to keep children and communities safe.”
Brooke Kinsella MBE, the sister of Ben Kinsella, and co-founder of the The Ben Kinsella Trust, said:
“Knife Crime Awareness Week is always a deeply personal and emotional time for me and my family. Nearly two decades on from losing my brother Ben, the pain of his absence has not lessened, but neither has our determination to create change in his name.
“This week is a powerful reminder that behind every statistic is a life cut short, a family shattered, and a community left grieving. We must never become numb to that reality. Every young person lost to knife crime is someone’s son, daughter, sibling, or friend and every loss is preventable.
“At the Ben Kinsella Trust, we continue to work tirelessly to educate young people about the real consequences of carrying a knife, challenge harmful myths, and provide them with the confidence to make safer choices. But we cannot do this alone. Real, lasting change requires all of us, parents, schools, police, policymakers, communities, and young people themselves to come together and take responsibility.
“Knife Crime Awareness Week is not just about reflection; it is about action. This week, I urge everyone to join me and take the Knife Crime Awareness Week Pledge and to be part of the solution. Together, we can work towards a future where no family has to endure the heartbreak that we live with every day.”
Stephen Clayman, National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for knife crime, said:
“Partnership working is key to tackling knife crime and by running policing’s Sceptre week in collaboration with Knife Crime Awareness Week, we demonstrate our collective commitment and action.
“The Ben Kinsella Trust is invaluable, focusing on a positive future with resources to support parents, carers and teachers in having important conversations with young people with a wider reach to other voluntary organisations. In policing, we all too often see the devastating consequences of knife crime and prevention should always be our priority.
“There is a huge amount of work from my policing colleagues across the country to keep their local communities safe, whether through surrender schemes, engagement events, specialist patrols or education activities. Knife crime is not inevitable, and Sceptre week is the time to highlight, celebrate and learn from that work so that together we can help reduce it.”
Patrick Green, CEO of the Ben Kinsella Trust, said:
“Knife Crime Awareness Week is about far more than awareness raising or messaging, it is about meaningful action, shared responsibility and long-term collaboration. By joining forces with NPCC’s Sceptre Week, we highlight that preventing knife crime is a collective responsibility. From frontline police officers to teachers, grassroots groups, parents and carers, it takes all of us working together to keep young people and our communities safe.
“Our message this Knife Crime Awareness Week is clear, everyone has a role to play in preventing knife crime and protecting young lives. We’re urging individuals and organisations to stand with us by showing their support and committing to action. By signing the pledge on the Knife Crime Awareness Week website, you are taking an important step towards creating safer futures for young people and helping to build a culture where carrying a knife is never seen as an option.”