Skip to content

'Youth club in son's memory will get anxious kids socialising'

Chloe Aslett
BBC News, Yorkshire
Lisa Pitchford/BBC A woman with black hair in a ponytail in glasses standing in front of what appears to be a garage. She has a black t shirt on with a photo in black and white of her late 15-year-old son.Lisa Pitchford/BBC
Caroline Willgoose attended an anti-knife crime event in March organised by Harvey's friends

The parents of a boy who was stabbed to death at school have begun work towards setting up a youth club in his memory.

Harvey Willgoose's parents, Caroline and Mark, have campaigned against knife crime since the 15-year-old was killed at All Saints Catholic High School in Sheffield in February.

Mrs Willgoose said: "We need to get the kids back out, socialising, meeting up like we used to. I want the awareness out - I'll talk to kids about knife crime and the devastation it brought."

They are funding four sessions to establish what activities young people would want to take part in at a permanent youth hub, which they are raising money towards.

Always an Alternative, a youth and anti-knife crime charity in Sheffield which runs a mobile youth club, provided the resources for the session.

Two girls who look about 12 drawing or colouring on a table outdoors. Both have long brown hair and look very focused on what they are doing.
Mrs Willgoose is gathering feedback on what young people would want at a permanent youth hub.

The club, run out of a van, gives young people a space to play video games, do homework, play sports, produce music and do arts and crafts.

Mrs Willgoose said: "Kids are our future; we've got to do it for them.

"A lot of them have anxiety, and I think that is to do with Covid – a big chunk of their childhood has been taken away through that."

They plan to name the permanent club "Harvey's Hub".

Mrs Willgoose said: "I want the awareness out there - I will go into schools and festivals to talk.

"I'll talk to kids about knife crime and the devastation it brought to us, to his friends, to the community, to the school, and to the kids that were there."

Harvey's funeral, which was held at Sheffield Cathedral a fortnight after his death, was attended by hundreds of people.

His parents described him as a "loveable rogue" and "a joy to be around".

The family want the hub to be based at the Miners' Welfare Club in Beighton, which they described as Harvey's "happy place".

On Monday a 15-year-old boy admitted Harvey's manslaughter but denied murdering him at Sheffield Crown Court.

Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North

More on this story