Ramarni Crosby: Stab victim's grandma on mission to save others

The grandmother of a teenage stab victim says she does not want anyone else to go through the "nightmare" her family has.

Ramarni Crosby, 16, died after being stabbed a number of times in Gloucester in December 2021.

Since losing her grandson, Viv Clifford has been doing what she can to prevent knife crime and save lives.

The Ramarni Trust, which was set up by the family, has raised more than £32,000 so far.

Ramarni's uncle Danny Davis raised the money through a month of 3.1 mile (5km) runs through Gloucester. By the end of January 2022, more than 1,000 people had joined in.

Ms Clifford said the support was "magical" and felt like the people of Gloucester "wrapping their arms" around the family.

She added: "Youth organisations like youth clubs, neighbourhood projects, that have kids come in, they can apply to us for funding if they need anything.

"That could be items they need for the club, mentoring for one of the kids or it could be they want some knife crime prevention work."

Ms Clifford has already used some of the money to buy bleed-control kits, special medical equipment that can help control bleeding before paramedics arrive.

She wants to see them installed in bleed boxes, similar to ones used for defibrillators, all over Gloucester.

"I don't want another family to go through what we went through. It's a family's worst nightmare, Ramarni's life was taken from him," Ms Clifford said.

She continued: "If there had been a bleed-control kit around when Ramarni was stabbed then it's possible he may be around now.

"They could make the three minute difference between somebody living and somebody passing away and a family having to go through the same trauma as we did."

Ms Clifford is being supported by bar owner and Gloucester councillor Justin Hudson.

He is working with the trust and has already installed a bleed-control kit, donated by Put The Knives Down Gloucester, outside his bar on Eastgate Street.

"Heaven forbid we ever need to use it but it's there if we do.

"We want these kits across the city so if there was an issue, it could be a car crash, a horrible slip trip fall or a compound fracture, it doesn't necessarily need to allude to knife crime, then these kits are there to be used," said Mr Hudson.

At the start of February, a statue made from 100,000 confiscated knives called The Knife Angel arrived in Gloucester and is now on display outside the cathedral. It has highlighted a conversation around knife crime and Ms Clifford has welcomed that.

"When you go there and you see how big it is and you see the amount of knives, it's a powerful thing," she said.

On Monday, Ramarni's uncle Mr Davis will be leading another week of runs which will culminate in a vigil at the Knife Angel on 26 February.

The retrial of eight teenagers accused of murdering Ramarni is due to start in April.

But away from the court process, Ms Clifford wants the tragedy they have lived through to prompt change and make a real difference to young people.

"We couldn't save Ramarni, but in Ramarni's name and his legacy, his name can keep going by the Ramarni Trust.

"Hopefully people will back us and see what we're doing for the kids and the community," she said.

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