Knife crime has reached record levels and young people are increasingly involved in serious and violent crime, including knife crime. Between 2016 and 2018, the number of under-18s who used knives to kill rose by more than 75% (Channel 4, 2019). The drivers of knife crime (poverty, mental ill-health, tensions between young people) have got worse during the Covid-19 crisis. Preventative work is needed now more than ever.

Through the Choices and Consequences exhibition, based in Finsbury Library, Islington, the Ben Kinsella Trust delivers anti-knife crime workshops for children aged 10-16, predominantly from deprived areas of London (e.g. London Boroughs of Islington, Hackney). The workshops use role-play, videos, quizzes and surveys as young people are guided through different themed rooms to show them how the choices they make, and the consequences of these choices, are intrinsically linked.

The Islington exhibition currently stands on temporary structures to separate the ‘rooms’ and has been in use since 2012. It is in desperate need of refurbishment as the images used are now very dated and not relevant to young people today. Visitors have experienced major issues with sound travel (e.g. young people can hear what is happening in other rooms, leading to disengagement/problems when discussing sensitive issues) and the current layout does not maximise all available space, which could otherwise be used for additional activities/rooms. The exhibition structure has started to lean and recently completed emergency work further wastes space and hinders movement between rooms.

Fundamentally, the current exhibition is not in a fit state to effectively respond to increasing demand (a 30% increase in workshop referrals/attendance between 2018 and 2019). The ALMT made a grant to refurbish the exhibition.