GROUPS & ORGANISATIONS

This page provides a summary of current or recent activities and campaigns by other organisations around Great Britain

 

Burngreave Bouncing Back, Sheffield, March 2008

There will be a community march through Burngreave which will stop at scenes of three tragedies to remember the victims of gun crime.  The march, to he held on 15 March, will begin close to where Ibrahim Ilyas was gunned down in June 2006 and will then proceed to the site where taxi driver Younis Khan died in March 2007 with the last stop at the place where Jonathan Matondo was killed in October 2007 (Sheffield Telegraph, 10 March 2008).

Guns Into Goods, Manchester, March 2008

Fifty five people killed by gun crime in Greater Manchester since 1999 will be remembered on special commemorative coins, part of a scheme reflecting on gun crime.  In the Guns Into Goods campaign illegal firearms seized by the police are to be destroyed and transformed into symbols of peace including the 'peace coin' with 55 notches representing the victims.  An exclusive first edition of the coin will be auctioned off at a special event at the City of Manchester Stadium on 8 March as part of Manchester Peace Week.  The project involves the University of Salford, anti-violence campaigners Carisma and Greater Manchester Police (Salford Advertiser, 28 February 2008).

Memorial Services for Families and Friends Bereaved Through Homicide, December 2007 & February 2008

This notice was provided by Mothers Against Murder and Aggression

MEMORIAL SERVICES FOR FAMILIES AND FRIENDS BEREAVED THROUGH HOMICIDE

For those of you who don't already know, there is a memorial service held every year at St Martin in the Fields Church, Trafalgar Square, London.  This is organised by 'Justice for Victims'.  The service this year will be held on Saturday 15th December at 11.00 am.  Coffee and Tea are available after the service.

The Service in Liverpool organised by SAMM Merseyside is this Friday 7th December, at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King, (the Catholic one), commencing at 7.30 pm. Everyone is welcome who have been affected by a Homicide including family, friends and even work colleagues.

The service in North Wales, organised by SAMM North Wales will be on Friday 14th December at 7.30 pm, this is a non-denominational service and will be held at Prince's Drive Baptist Church, Colwyn Bay.

A member of each family is invited to light a candle in memory of their loved ones.  These services are a chance for people to come together at a time of year which is probably one of the hardest, but where you are with people who do understand what you are going through. Although its a sad occasion it can also be very uplifting and the services are always beautiful.

The all denomination Memorial service will take place at St Joseph's RC Church Gateshead, Sat 16th Feb, at 11.30 am - the service in Newcastle is held during European Victims Week

Emmanuel Odunewu Foundation Trust, Lewisham  December 2007

Hundreds of people attended a service, one-minute silence and memorial trust launch for Emmanuel Odunewu who died after being stabbed in Lewisham, south London, in November 2007.  His mother Rev Nancy Odunewu has set up the Trust to reinforce the message that knife and gun crime devastate communities and families.  St Stephen's Church, Lewisham, has pledged £1000 a year and the police also made a substantial donation.  The trust will be actively working with young people.  See ic South London, 4 December 2007.

Bluetooth for Gun Crime Campaign in South London, Lambeth  December 2007

The London of Borough of Lambeth has launched a new anti-gun campaign via Bluetooth-enabled phones.  A sixty-second movie to support its community safety campaign will be beamed to phones as they pass a series of masts being installed throughout December 2007.

Communities Against Guns and Knives, London  14 October 2007

Relatives of young people who have been killed or injured by weapons have called for an end to gun and knife crime at a peace march.  The event began in Hackney and ended at Tottenham Green two hours later.  Speakers included actor Kwame Kwei-Armah, Cheryl Sealey from Mothers Against Guns and Broadwater Farm community worker Classford Stirling.

Hip- Hop Opera, London  9 October 2007

 

The Don't Trigger feature film Hip Hop Opera will be given a formal premiere in London's West End on 9 October 2007.  The event will be attended by MPs, representatives of the police, personalities from the world of music, sport and film, members of the cast and parents of gun and knife crimes who have been involved in the project.

 

Download the Campaign Album: Visit the Hip Hop Opera Website: Read about the Don't Trigger Campaign

Liverpool Unites, Liverpool  September 2007

The Liverpool Echo has launched a new campaign to fight gun crime with the backing of the parents of Rhys Jones, the schoolboy shot dead in Croxteth in August 2007.  The red and blue colours of Liverpool FC and Everton FC have been combined to produce a purple colour which will be central to the campaign.  Liverpool Unites will call for 1,000 more police officers for Merseyside, a minimum sentence of 10 years for illegal possession of a firearm and more resources for the witness protection programme to give greater confidence to those prepared to come forward.  It also calls for tighter control to make it harder for criminals to acquire guns.

> See Liverpool Echo

One Love Hackney, Hackney  September 2007

A music festival, aimed at reducing violent crime, is taking place in east London.  One Love Hackney was launched by a parade in Clissold Park in Stoke Newington.  More than 20 voluntary and community groups will hold theatre, dance, performance and sports activities during the week.  The event aims to deter young people from becoming involved with gun, gang and knife crime (BBC, 9 September 2007).

Nottingham Crime and Drugs Partnership, August 2007

Hard-hitting posters aimed at curbing gun crime in Nottingham are to be put up around the city centre.  The posters feature a body lying in a mortuary and have the slogan "Carrying a gun will get you into the coolest places" (Nottingham Evening Post, 11 August 2007; BBC, 14 August 2007).

Life on the Stairs, Birmingham and London, July and August 2007

A two-hour drama tackling knife and gun killings has been put together by FAITH Drama productions.  The production uses drama with hip-hop, grime and dance to try to keep young people away from a life of crime.

> See FAITH Drama Productions website

Don't Trigger, City Hall, London, June 2007

The Don't Trigger Campaign is an international anti-gun campaign devised by Urban Concepts.  The last campaign video "Why" was screened to over 4 million people on all major music channels.  The new campaign, to be launched on 7 June, has contributions from over 130 artists, writers and musicians.  The campaign will involve a Don't Trigger Hip Hop Opera launching later in the year and an album UK United launching July (BBC, 7 June 2007).

> See Don't Trigger website

Young Peace of Mind, London, May 2007

Young Peace of Mind is a new concept in translating ideas and experiences young people face in everyday situations, a new talk show which will be aired on Ben TV (Sky Digital) channel number 148.  The show will be aired every week for half an hour and will be an interactive forum for young people to participate and air any views and opinions which effect them as a whole and their communities.

Newham, East London, March 2007

Two Newham-based groups, Be Safe and Conflict and Change, have been awarded money by the Safer London Foundation for projects designed to cut gun crime and gang culture.  Be Safe operate workshops and sessions targeting young people's attitudes and educating them about the consequences of their actions.  Conflict and Change run community mediation schemes to cut anti-social behaviour (Newham Recorder, 28 March 2007).

Peckham, South London, February 2007

Up to 500 people joined together in Peckham as church leaders and community groups led a prayer march to highlight a campaign against youth gangs and the killings of teenagers Billy Cox, James Andre Smartt-Ford and Michael Dosumnu, all of whom were shot dead in south London during February (Metro, 22 February 2007).

Firth Park Community Arts College, Sheffield  22 February 2007

Teenagers at a Sheffield school play a leading role in a five-minute film about the dangers of the gun and knife gang culture.  The DVD, which can be downloaded from the internet, forms part of a £75,000 campaign in South Yorkshire.

> See South Yorkshire Police Press Release

"Put It Down" Anti-Gun Crime Rally, Brixton, London  16 December 2006

The London Youth Federation will partner Local South London Churches in putting on an Anti-Gun Crime Rally at Brixton Town Hall.  Details are on the poster below.  Click here for more details.

Badman, London  November 2006

The urban hip-hop collective, Roll Deep, launched a music video, which attempts to dissuade young people from getting involved in gun crime.  The video was filmed in collaboration with the Metropolitan Police's Operation Trident, which tackles crime among the black community in the capital and was directed by Jake Nava who has worked with Beyonce and Kelis (Guardian, 3 November 2006; BBC, 3 November 2006).

Jae'don Fearon, London  October 2006

Jae'don Fearon's was 10 when his father was killed, the innocent victim of a gangland shootout in a London nightclub.  After giving a speech at his father's funeral Jae'don began a campaign against gun crime in his community.  Now 13 he has been recruited as a spokesman for Mothers Against Guns.  His efforts have been recognised by being featured at the National Portrait Gallery in a display of photographs of exceptional young Britons (Evening Standard, 31 October 2006).

Not Another Drop Rally, North West London  October 2006

Hundreds of people joined an annual anti-gun crime peace march from Willesden to Wembley.  Family and friends of gun victims were joined by police and senior council officials (BBC, 7 October 2006).

Operation Trident - Independent Advisory Group, London  September 2006

Teenage members of London's black communities are the target of an advertising campaign aimed at cutting gun crime.  More than 80 billboards went up in six boroughs - they feature a dead man in a mortuary fridge with the message: "Carrying a gun can get you into the coolest places" (24dash.com, 25 September 2006).  Michelle Forbes of Mothers Against Guns said "People must start shopping their children to the police." (BBC, 26 September 2006).  The campaign is supported by London mayor Ken Livingstone (MayorWatch, 27 September 2006).

Mothers Against Guns, Bristol  September 2006

An event arranged by Reverend Dawnicia Palmer and Bristol's Prayer Patrol and attended by Mothers Against Guns was held to discuss Bristol's "gun culture".  The meeting was held at a club opposite another club where a 19-year-old was shot and killed earlier in the month (BBC, 23 September 2006).  One of the mothers commented "I would rather kids be safe when they go out, go home to their mothers alive and not in a black bag" (BBC, 25 September 2006).

Mothers in Pain, Sandwell  July 2006

A mother who runs a support group for the victims of gun crime hit out at the publication of a leaflet by Sandwell Council.  The flier, produced for distribution to primary schools in the borough to promote holiday activities, showed a young black girl pointing a pistol at the head of another.  The picture was withdrawn by education chiefs who also apologised after Thelma Sinclair, who runs Mothers in Pain, complained about it.  She said that "If we want to put a stop to gun crime we must all work together.  Gun crime is not just a black issue but a world-wide problem and one for the community as a whole" (Birmingham Mail, 6 July 2006).

Airgun Amnesty  June 2006

GCN's Linda Mitchell and MP Fraser Kemp have made an urgent call for an amnesty to take air weapons off the street after the knife amnesty ends at the end of the month.  Senior police officers and Government ministers have been contacts asking for an airgun amnesty.  Mr Kemp said "We all know that there are a lot of airguns stored in people's lofts or sheds and in the wrong hands they are lethal weapons." (Sunderland Today, 28 June 2006).  The responses received from ministers indicate that an amnesty will be introduced shortly.

The Government is now in talks over setting up a national firearms amnesty in late 2007.  Home Office minister Vernon Coaker is discussing the idea with the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) (AOL News, 14 February 2007).

Streetwise  May 2006

Streetwise is a gang and gun crime prevention resource for young people. Streetwiseinfo.co.uk is a live and interactive website and allows young people to seek advice from professionals and ex-gang members 24 hours a day 7 days a week. If you need advice, information or guidance about your problems please go to the Streetwise chat room.

> Visit the Streetwise Website

The Harder They Come, Leicester  19 May 2006

A one day training course was held in Leicester.  It aimed to identify key causes behind the increase in firearm-related incidents.  The organisers wanted to get the message across that gun crime is not isolated to deprived inner city estates and could spread to more affluent areas.  The course was the idea of the Leicester Gun Crime Awareness Project (BBC, 18 May 2006).

Scottish SPCA Airgun Campaign  May 2006

The Scottish SPCA has long campaigned to highlight the animal welfare problems posed by airgun misuse and called for tighter restrictions on their use.  They invite people to help by writing to the Home Secretary and highlight the need for tougher airgun legislation.

On 1 June the Scottish SPCA will be setting up a database to record airgun attacks on animals.  Vets, wildlife officers and members of the public will be able to log on to the charity's website and enter details of an incident.  The information will then make up the most comprehensive database of airgun attacks on animals in the UK (BBC, 8 May 2006).

> Visit the Scottish SPCA Website

Bang! Bang! In Da Manor, Edmonton  3 May 2006

A documentary about gun crime in Britain's black communities will be screened at the Arts Zone in Edmonton, north London.  'Bang! Bang! In Da Manor' attempts to give an insight into the social and economic factors which have led to the strife.  Tickets are available by calling 0208 887 9500.

Odd Theatre Company, Sheffield25 April 2006

The Odd Theatre Company is hosting a movie premiere showing a set of three films and presentations about gun crime.  All the productions have been directed and performed by 70 local teenagers between the ages of 14 and 17.  The project has been undertaken in partnership with South Yorkshire Police, Sheffield Connexions, Mothers against Gun Crime and Sheffield Futures (South Yorkshire Police, 24 April 2006).

Save Our Souls, South London  1 April 2006

Protestors took to the streets of Upper Norwood to send a defiant message to gunmen who claim young lives - "enough is enough".  Youngsters unfurled banners demanding an end to the carnage of gun crime. They laid flowers at the spot where Matthew Smith was allegedly shot down dead for a mobile phone in January 2006 and protested about the deaths of a couple who were killed in their flat in March (ic South London, 4 April 2006 and Croydon Guardian, 5 April 2006).  The organisers of Save Our Souls can be contacted on 07956 968341, 07946 809049 or 07956 854503.

Food for Thought, London  28 March 2006

'Food for Thought' was a community led forum for victims and witnesses of gun crime to talk about their experiences.  The forum, held at the Metropolitan Police Authority, enabled communities to speak directly to the agencies responsible for tackling gun related crimes (UK Security Directory, 28 March 2006).

Crimestoppers  March 2006

The public is being urged to report the presence of guns, both real and imitation, in their community in a campaign launched by the independent charity Crimestoppers (tel: 0800 555 111).  The campaign is backed by the Home Office and is supported by the Association of Chief Police Officers.  It will be promoted in the Thames Valley, Wales, Northamptonshire, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, Leicestershire, Gloucestershire, Derbyshire, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Merseyside, Nottinghamshire and West Midlands police areas (BBC, 27 March 2006).

Nottingham  March 2006

Young people affected by gun and knife crime are to give their "testimonies" at a rally in Nottingham.  The rally, organised by the community group Credit 4 You, is described as a "healing event" (BBC, 24 March 2006).

Red Hot Green Youth Forum, Camden  February 2006

The Youth Forum, made up of youngsters aged 13 to 19 from the Gospel Oak area, is organising a gun and knife amnesty - before violent crime escalates further "out of control" (Camden Gazette, 8 February 2006).

 

If you know of any other campaign activities please contact us