Rochdale AFC’s academy players had the opportunity to experience a powerful life skills workshop on the prevention of knife crime last week.
Head of Academy Safeguarding Roy Thickett, who is a knife crime specialist for Greater Manchester Police, delivered the session to the club’s u9-u18 academy players along with Kelly Brown, mother of knife crime victim Rhamero West.
Rhamero was just 16 when he tragically fell victim to knife crime in Manchester last September. His mother Kelly, has since been heavily involved in campaigning for knife crime prevention, working together with charities and the police force to speak out and warn young people about the dangers of carrying a knife.
Jack Pritchard, Head of Academy Education at Rochdale AFC, was present at last Friday’s workshop and told LFE how “the silence in the room explained just how much of an impact Kelly’s story had on the youth team.
“This unique oppourtnity has enabled us at Rochdale Football Club to deliver a crucial life skills event to the most vulnerable audience of knife crime in Greater Manchester.”
One academy player at Rochdale said: “It was an interesting and powerful message which highlighted the problems and consequences of knife crime. It was good to hear from Kelly and her personal experience of knife crime which shows how real it is. It makes me feel like I am a role model for my community to make a positive change.”
Another added: “It was a hard-hitting workshop that made me realise how real this problem is, especially in our area, and the massive impact knife crime is and continues to have throughout the community.”
