Swindon anti-knife campaign to launch in memory of teen

Campaigners are launching an initiative to tackle knife crime in memory of a stabbed teenager.

Owen Dunn, 18, was fatally wounded in Haydon End, Swindon, on 4 December.

Friends and family have created a community interest company called Owen's World to improve youth services and try to prevent further deaths.

"Owen would do absolutely anything for anybody and we wanted to give something back to him," one of the campaigners said.

Joanne Gonzalez is the mother of one of Mr Dunn's friends and is part of a group of parents who founded Owen's World.

She said: "The goal is to give the kids a start in life and try and prevent knife crime, even if it's just in Swindon.

"Kids turn to knife crime because they've got nothing else to do - they are left to hang around on the streets."

Ms Gonzalez said knife crime was a growing problem in Swindon, fuelled by the glorification of gang culture and county lines drug dealing.

Ms Gonzalez said as a teenager, she had attended her youth club "all the time" but now there were only a handful left in Swindon.

She said only families that met specific requirements were entitled to free holiday activities for their children.

"(Teenagers) hang out on the street, they get involved with older kids and the older kids convince them it's cool and bang, they are carrying a knife because they want to fit in," Ms Gonzalez said.

She said Mr Dunn's friends were still struggling to come to terms with his death but they had "got on board" with the campaign.

She added: "And they talk about Owen, they remember him, so they are not bottling it up, which is good."

Mr Dunn's grandmother Trisha Aldred is also involved in Owen's World and said: "Owen radiated happiness, he always had that beautiful smile."

She said her grandson's death had "ripped the heart out" of their family.

"When I was a child we had youth clubs, we wouldn't even think about [knives] - there needs to be more out there for youngsters to do," she said.

"I couldn't wish this pain on any other parent on grandparent that myself and my family are going through, we have got to do something."

Owen's World plans to launch a series of schemes to curb knife violence, including first aid programmes to teach young people how to treat a puncture wound.

It is also campaigning for mandatory self-defence classes to be taught in schools and improvements to adolescent mental health services.

Another initiative is Owen's Sheds - asking people to donate sheds that can be used for groups of teenagers to hang out in away from the streets.

A close friend of Mr Dunn's, Jay-Jay Randell, said Owen's World had given his friends a focus after his death.

"We are all sticking together and looking out for Owen's family," he said.

The sheds will be donated to families with teenagers.

"It means you're not on the streets causing trouble. That's the whole point of it," he added.

The Owen's World campaign kicked off with a fundraising party at the Moonrakers pub in Swindon.

The launch will feature a charity auction of signed Liverpool and Swindon Town Football Club memorabilia, as well as a performance by a dance company.

Ms Gonzalez said: "We know Owen liked a good party so we thought what better way [to launch Owen's World] than with a party?

"I just think that if we can keep one family from going through what Owen's family are going through, then we will have achieved something."

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