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Heartspoken

Sarah’s story 2013

Ever since her son, Kieran’s death in 2013, Sarah has worked non-stop in raising awareness of knife crime and its impact on society, in the hopes to prevent others from suffering the loss that she experienced first-hand.

In the aftermath

She gave her first talk to a group of young offenders in partnership with the Youth Offending Team in East Leeds within six months of her loss. Since then, she has worked tirelessly with local government and education authorities as well as counsellor, educators and policing teams to deliver campaigns and workshops on knife crime reduction to primary and secondary schools, colleges, young offenders and community settings.

In recent years

Even throughout the coronavirus lockdowns, Sarah found ways to continue her support with schools and with Leeds United Foundation as part of a multi-agency initiative called Positive Choices. She continues to deliver workshops across West Yorkshire and has been instrumental in setting up bereavement support groups in East Leeds, for which she was nominated as a finalist in recognition of her work in the community at the 2017 TES Awards. Her journey has also encouraged her to re-enter education, to gain academic insight into knife crime alongside her lived experience. She graduated from the University of Leeds in March 2022 with a degree in Professional Studies and plans to undergo a Masters and PhD in social research.

She has brought the discussion of knife crime before politicians and the media, regularly speaking for the press and radio, as well as appearing on national television. Her most recent campaign involvement includes the Violence Reduction Unit and the Royal Armouries, in an exhibition displaying the actions being taken across West Yorkshire in knife crime reduction. The instillation has been supported by the Mayor of West Yorkshire, Tracy Brabin.

Sarah’s efforts stem from the lack of support she felt after Kieran’s murder. In the long-term aftermath, little exists to support families who have been affected by violence. Sarah’s mission, alongside her preventative efforts in knife crime awareness, is to create these interventions and ensure others receive the help they need. Currently, she is in the process of setting up a social enterprise called Heartspoken to help bring these ideas into fruition.

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