PCC supports National Day of Hope

0:00 Today, on the 7th of December

0:02 I’m proud to support the Day of Hope

0:04 2021. The Day of Hope marks what would

0:07 have been Damilola Taylor’s birthday had

0:10 he not been killed at the age of just 10

0:12 when he was stabbed outside of his home

0:14 in London. Although it was more than 20

0:16 years ago, he remains a symbol for the

0:18 impact of knife crime on young people

0:20 and families.

0:22 And families in our own communities in

0:23 Thames Valley have seen this cruelty too.

0:26 Incidents involving knives have left

0:28 families and friends grieving for their

0:30 loss.

0:30 The offenders, behind bars, often just

0:33 children themselves, with ruined lives

0:35 ahead of them and families torn apart. I

0:38 want the Thames Valley to be a safe

0:40 place to grow up,

0:41 where young people can develop and

0:43 flourish without the fear of crime.

0:46 In every community, in every school, in

0:48 every organisation, in every family we have

0:50 a responsibility to give young people

0:53 the support and direction they need.

0:54 Creating opportunities to help them

0:56 overcome barriers.

0:58 Damilola said, shortly before he was

1:00 killed, that he wanted to change the

1:01 world. He had huge potential and so does

1:04 every young person in the Thames Valley.

1:06 Let’s help them achieve it. That’s why

1:08 I’m supporting the Day of Hope 2021 with

1:11 a message of positivity and a vision of

1:13 knife crime ending in the Thames Valley.

1:17 [Music]