Youth workers call for urgent action ahead of knife crime summit at Holyrood

The head of a Glasgow community group says the city must take a new approach to youth violence or risk more lives being lost.

Speaking ahead of a knife crime summit at Holyrood on Thursday, Lainy Bedingfield told STV News that “nobody can do this on their own” and called for a multi-pronged effort to reduce violent crime.

Lainy manages Kingsway Community Connections in Knightswood, which she says was plunged “into crisis response mode” earlier this year following the death of one of its attendees – Amen Teklay, who was fatally stabbed near St George’s Cross in March.

Two boys aged 14 and 16 have appeared in court charged with murder following the death of 15-year-old Amen in the Maryhill area of Glasgow.

“What happened to Amen has had a ripple effect,” said Lainy. “Some of the children we work with are just 11 years old. They understood something had happened – something they’ll carry with them forever.

“Nobody can do this on their own. We’re a community development organisation, not just a youth project, but we knew we needed help.”

Now Lainy is calling for serious investment and a public health approach to tackling youth violence.

She will participate in a roundtable with Glasgow City Council later this month, just days after the Scottish Government hosts its own knife crime summit on Thursday.

In the meantime, Kingsway staff continue to support young people as best they can with limited funds. One example is Thursday night football sessions, delivered voluntarily by two staff members, alongside additional support from charity Achieve More Scotland.

“Young people are flocking to us. They want this and that’s half the battle,” said Ms Bedingfield.

In a bid to find long-term solutions, the team reached out to The Marcus Lipton Centre in Brixton, south London – a community hub that faced its own tragedy in 2019 when a young person was killed on site.

Wayne James, who manages youth services at the centre, said: “No one starts out trying to be an anti-knife crime hub.

“But when tragedy strikes, you adapt. Glasgow was once the model we looked to in London, but now it feels like some of those gains are slipping. We’re all facing a resurgence in youth violence, and it’s time to call it what it is: a crisis.”

Both Wayne and Lainy agree that quick fixes don’t work. They say throwing short-term cash at the problem won’t build the trusted relationships that protect young people from harm.

Jamie O’Neill, a youth worker at Kingsway, said: “We were advised to simply open our doors to more young people. And it worked – within a week, we had 40 coming through. That’s the power of community. But we need support to sustain that.”

March against knife crime

The parents of a teenage boy who was stabbed in Glasgow have organised a march to raise awareness of knife crime.

Kory McCrimmon’s family said his life “will not be in vain” as they urged people to join the Parents Against Knives walk later this month.

From left to right: Kory McCrimmon, Amen Teklay and Kayden Moy. STV News

The march will set off from Rangers’ Ibrox stadium at 1pm on June 22 and those taking part will walk to Celtic Park in the east end.

Kory died after he was found seriously injured in Greenfield Park in the east end of Glasgow on May 31 last year.

A 14-year-old was last month sentenced to five years detention after admitting culpable homicide.

The march also takes place in the wake of Kayden Moy’s death. The 16-year-old was was found seriously injured on Irvine beach in North Ayrshire after police were called to the area on May 17.

A 14-year-old boy and two 17-year-old boys have appeared in court charged with murder following his death.

‘Are we always going to be reactionary?’

Youth centres like Fuse in Shettleston want to see change. The centre opens six nights a week, offering everything from tyre-changing workshops to gaming and music.

But manager Gerry Baldwin says that even in neighbouring areas, there are no youth projects at all.

“Are we always going to be reactionary?” he asked.

“In places like Greenfield Park, where there was a recent tragedy (referring to Kory’s death), there’s nothing – no youth work, no outreach. We need a two-pronged approach: drop-ins and proper street work. That’s how we prevent harm before police even get involved.”

Across both Glasgow and London, the influence of social media is becoming a growing concern. Staff describe group chats involving hundreds of young people, where arguments and threats can escalate rapidly – often without schools or adults ever knowing.

Sunnie Ighoe, who works with vulnerable teens at the Marcus Lipton Centre in Brixton, said: “What used to be minor issues are now amplified ten or 20 times because of social media. The strategies we used even five years ago aren’t enough. We have to adapt.”

Jamie from Kingsway agrees.

“We’re seeing extreme violence being normalised through screens,” he said. “Kids as young as nine are filming fights. If adults don’t step in and offer guidance, young people are only going to learn from each other – and that’s dangerous.”

Despite the challenges, Lainy and her team are determined to keep pushing for change. A trip to Brixton is on the cards, but for now, she’s focused on the conversations happening here in Scotland.

“I don’t feel like I’m shouting into a void – people are listening,” she said.

“But we need more than parachute projects. We need real, rooted work that gives young people the chance to become the best versions of themselves. That’s the only way we stop this cycle.”

Summit will bring together voices from across Scotland

Thursday’s summit is expected to focus on actions through education and community engagement with young people at risk of violence.

Justice secretary Angela Constance said: “It’s important to be clear that Scotland remains a safe place to live.

“But more needs to be done to change the attitudes and behaviours of some who are at risk of violence, or those young people who are considering carrying a weapon. There is no place for violence in Scotland and anyone who commits a crime, will face the consequences.

“Our work remains focused on ensuring our prevention and punishment measures respond to the changing behaviours of young people. This includes ensuring good school and community engagement with young people, appropriate police powers and tackling the root causes of violence.”

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton spent almost 20 years as a youth worker, helping disengaged young people get their lives back on track.

He said: “That experience taught me that no child is inherently bad. Most of the time, they are just in need of some direction, a need that has only been fuelled by the isolating impact of lockdown.

“That’s where youth work comes in: it provides young people with the direction they need and gives them a positive adult role model who is neither a teacher nor a parent.

“It teaches teenagers to come out of their comfort zone, helps them rebuild their sense of self-worth and fosters a whole host of key life skills.”