On Saturday 15 August 2026, Winners Chapel International Birmingham became a hub of hope, action, and community collaboration as Winners in the Community, the humanitarian arm of Winners Chapel International hosted a highly impactful Knife Crime Awareness Event.
Bringing together survivors, civic leaders, youth advocates, police representatives, community organisations, and residents, the event demonstrated a united determination to tackle one of the most pressing challenges facing young people and communities across the United Kingdom.
Winners in the Community’s journey in addressing knife crime began in 2024 when awareness events were launched in Bristol, Manchester, and Croydon. The initiative brought together community leaders, statutory agencies, voluntary organisations, and residents to confront the growing impact of knife crime on young people and families.
Following the positive response, the programme expanded in 2025 to Birmingham, Dartford, and Manchester.
Recognising the need for sustained action Winners in the Community developed the initiative into an ongoing programme, with a four-point strategy to guide its response to knife crime:
Prevention: Raising awareness, educating young people, and promoting positive alternatives to violence.
Intervention: Providing support for those at risk of becoming involved in violence.
Restoration: Supporting victims, families, and individuals affected by knife crime to rebuild and recover.
Integration: Encouraging long-term community involvement, belonging, and positive social connections.
These four pillars provide a framework that responds to immediate concerns and address the root causes of violence. To maximise impact in 2026, Winners Chapel adopted a more focused approach by hosting the event at Winners Chapel Birmingham.
The event featured an impressive line-up of speakers and stakeholders. Contributors included Ayoub Khan MP, Member of Parliament for Birmingham Perry Barr; Councillor James Hinton; Councillor Morriam Jan, founder of the Stop the Bleed initiative; Asma Begum of West Midlands Police; Danni Adams from Blades Down; Anoushka Dunic of the Ben Kinsella Trust; and community advocate Moses Nwanji.
Each speaker brought unique expertise and experience, sharing practical insights on prevention, youth engagement, education, partnership working, and community-led solutions.
Attendees also benefited from life-saving information, including Stop the Bleed training, which equips members of the public with the skills needed to respond effectively in emergency situations.
The discussions were both informative and challenging, highlighting the devastating consequences knife crime can have on individuals, families, and entire communities, while also emphasising the collective power of communities to drive positive change.
The strong attendance and overwhelmingly positive feedback from the event reinforced the importance of maintaining momentum in the fight against knife crime. The message that emerged from the Birmingham event was clear: preventing knife crime is not the responsibility of one organisation or one sector alone. It is a shared responsibility that requires collective action.
One of the most tangible outcomes of Winners Chapel’s commitment was the donation of Amnesty Bins in Birmingham and Bristol, providing a safe and anonymous means for individuals to dispose of knives and removing these potentially dangerous items from circulation.
The event reflects the wider mission of Winners in the Community whose objective is to create lasting positive impact through practical humanitarian interventions. This commitment is expressed through partnerships, charitable giving, education and skills development, foodbank provision, homelessness support, and initiatives that address societal and environmental issues.
Serving communities in 63 cities across the United Kingdom, Winners Chapel’s CSR work is delivered through six key pillars:
- Education and Skills Development
- Foodbank and Poverty Alleviation
- Tackling Homelessness
- Improving Health, Safety and the Environment
- Working in Partnership
- Charitable Donations
Through these activities, community partnerships, and practical interventions, Winners in the Community seeks to transform compassion into practical support and good intentions into meaningful action. Believing that lasting change is achieved when faith groups, residents, schools, businesses, community organisations, and law-enforcement agencies work together with a shared commitment to building safer and stronger communities. Looking ahead, Winners Chapel is committed to expanding its community engagement, strengthening strategic partnerships, and creating further opportunities for education, dialogue, and collaborative action.
For further information about Winners Community initiatives visit https://www.winnersinthecommunity.org.uk or email national.csr@winners-chapel.org.uk
The article is reproduced with permission from Keep The Faith, Britain’s leading magazine about the Black Faith community.
