Tackling knife crime cannot be solved in an office-the real heroes our our anti knife crime campaigners who walk the streets of London each day.

Today, like most days Sue Hedges, Peguy Kato, and Julie Taylor will be out on the streets of east London and Essex campaigning against knife crime. Regardless of the weather or conditions, these bereaved mothers walk the streets in a truly desperate bid to stop another child losing their life and another family feeling the pain they endure every single day.

Each mother runs their own charity in memory of their son-The Ricky Hayden Memorial, All Champion’s Charity, and the The Liam Taylor Legacy. All mothers beg for their son’s name to never be forgotten. Yet, depressingly they openly acknowledge that their son is just another statistic in the never ending list of children’s names that have been murdered.

Each mother has dedicated their life to being a voice against knife crime, either by engaging with youths daily or by donating vital life saving Daniel Baird bleed bags.

It really doesn’t matter what the conditions are, or how broken these parents are, their role now is in preventing more deaths. They literally walk the streets of the capital each day.

Peguy meets endless youths, talking to them, listening to them, understanding why things are this way. She has organised many events where youths have had the opportunity to meet with professionals such as police officers and have the opportunity to listen to each other. This is vital grass roots work that is urgently needed to eradicate knife crime. Communication here is the key.

Sue spends her days being an active voice against knife crime, and donating vital bleed bags across our communities. No matter how hard a day she maybe faced with, Sue is on our streets with a bleed bag in her hand in the desperate hope that it saves a life.

It was in fact one of her donated Daniel Baird bleed bags that saved a youth last year who was stabbed on his way to college.

Julie, despite many issues of her own is on the Essex streets every day with a bleed bag. You will find her at as many events as she can possibly travel to, to be a voice against knife crime. Her words are powerful and her message against knife crime is strong.

Not one of these mums ever asks for recognition, nor do they ask for praise. What they pray for is that somehow, someone, somewhere will actually listen to them and all the other families whose lives have been torn apart by knife crime and actually begin the fight against knife crime. They have received many empty words that have amounted to nothing and are all extremely depressed with the way London is. Many empty promises and yet still children die on the streets.

These parents and anti knife crime campaigners are the real heroes making a difference in our society. They are the ones on the streets each day, seeing what is going on, dealing with the realities of what happens when you lose a child. They are the frontliners alongside our frontline cops who face knife crime everyday.

if you are sitting behind a desk and thinking of a way to solve knife crime-you are already on a back foot and not facing the reality of knife crime. The streets of London show you a clear reality, talking to our youth show you what is really going on.

You cannot tackle knife crime in an office. Unless you walk the streets of London with these campaigners and bereaved families you do not and will not know the reality of knife crime.

Our frontline cops, youth engagement officers and schools officers see the reality of this public health epidemic. They are the ones who witness the nightmare first hand, yet they are always the last to either be praised or spoken to when it comes to tackling knife crime.

There are many heroes who whose work across the streets of London is invaluable in the battle of knife crime, people who are never acknowledged or given a medal, yet deserve them the most.

Today, Peguy, Sue and Julie will be back on the streets being a voice against knife crime, nobody will acknowledge their work but it is their work that makes the difference on knife crime, their voice and their actions are saving more children from dying than any other scheme.

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