‘My son was killed defending a buddy – youth golf equipment are a part of treatment to knife crime epidemic’
Writing for The Mirror as the Government’s long-awaited knife crime strategy is published, Pastor Lorraine Jones Burrell says youth clubs are part of the cure to tackle unmet needs and lack of guidance young people face
Pastor Lorraine with her son Dwayne, who was stabbed to death in 2014(Image: Pastor Lorraine Jones)
Youth clubs are not a luxury, they are a lifeline.
In communities like ours, where young people are navigating trauma, poverty, exclusion, and the daily threat of violence, youth clubs represent safety, structure, and hope. Without them, we leave too many of our children exposed to exploitation, despair, and danger.
That is why it matters that youth clubs are finally being recognised nationally as essential infrastructure, not optional extras. Through the Better Youth Spaces programme, the Government has committed to equipping, refurbishing and building hundreds of youth facilities across England, so more communities have the safe spaces young people desperately need.
I speak not from theory, but from lived experience. My heart was shattered the day my son Dwayne was taken from me through knife crime. That pain never leaves you but I made a decision to turn that pain into power.
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What I have witnessed again and again is that when young people are given safe spaces, trusted adults, and real opportunities, their lives can transform. Youth clubs provide more than activities – they provide belonging. They offer a place where young people are seen, heard, and valued. They are a place to heal from trauma, build confidence, and develop skills for a brighter future. Whether through mentoring, sport, education, or simply having a trusted person to talk to, these spaces save lives.
I think of Tracy, who came through our doors at just 17 years old. She was a victim of county lines exploitation, frightened and hurting. When she arrived at Dwaynamics Boxing Gym, she was carrying trauma no child should carry. She told us a close friend had just been stabbed and killed and she feared she would be next. She said clearly, “I would be lost if I didn’t have Dwaynamics.” We wrapped our love, support, and belief around her.
Today, she has won several boxing awards and is now a carded amateur boxer with England Boxing. That is the power of a youth hub intervention, restoration, and transformation.
Programmes like Better Youth Spaces are about making sure stories like Tracy’s are not the exception. By investing in areas with the greatest need, they create safe third spaces where young people can access high quality activities, trusted adults and positive role models – all of which are key factors in diverting young people away from harm and criminality.
Knife crime does not start with a weapon. It starts with unmet needs, pain, lack of guidance, lack of opportunity, and sometimes a lack of love.
Youth clubs directly address these root causes and interrupt the pathway to violence, including knife crime, by offering a positive alternative.
I welcome the commitment made by Sir Keir Starmer to tackle knife crime and invest in safer futures for our young people through the measures detailed in the government’s ‘Protecting Lives, Building Hope: A Plan to Halve Knife Crime’, which will be launched on Tuesday. From what I have seen, he is honouring his word and working across government to tackle harm and intervene early. This commitment must continue to reach the grassroots where it matters most.
Every young life is precious. Peace is possible but only if we give our young people somewhere safe to stand.
