South Central Ambulance Service continues to work with local partners to raise awareness of the impact of knife crime. Knife Crime Awareness Week falls in May each year so we thought this would be a good opportunity to show some of the more recent public engagement events we have been part of across our area.
Learn more about South Central Ambulance Service’s knife crime campaign from earlier this year.
Reading
Continuing our efforts to raise awareness of the serious impacts of knife injuries, a team from SCAS visited Reading College on 28 April 2025, to talk to the students.
Tyler Howard, one of the paramedics who ran the session, said: “As a paramedic, it was incredibly rewarding to organise and be part of the Knife Awareness Day at Reading College. We ran hands-on activities that showed young people how to respond to a stabbing, including basic first aid and how to use a bleed control kit. The young people were really engaged, and it opened up some important conversations about the real-life consequences of knife crime.”
“It was just as valuable for the staff too – everyone came away with a better understanding and a real sense of having made a difference. We’re really looking forward to more opportunities like this to make a positive difference in our communities.”
Portsmouth
On Monday 19 May, Ben Cole, Community Engagement & Training Officer for East Hampshire, joined forces with Hampshire and Isle of Wight Police, Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service, and Portsmouth City Council to host a public engagement event on Commercial Road in Portsmouth. The session was raising awareness about knife crime and promoting community safety.
Ben said: “It was a great opportunity to share vital information on how to respond to a knife wound, and to support a united effort with other local services to address knife crime.”
Milton Keynes
We were delighted to attend the Knock Out Knife Crime event at Middleton Hall, centre:MK, on Friday, 23 May as part of Knife Crime Awareness Week. The event, organised by Action4Youth, saw SCAS, Thames Valley Police and Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service help raise awareness amongst visiting students and shoppers about the consequences of carrying a knife or other weapon, as well as the impact of knife crime.
Paramedics Laura and James, from the nearby Blue Light Hub, were on hand to show visitors how to use an emergency bleed kit, carry out CPR and use a defibrillator – vital life-saving skills that could make all the difference to a patient whilst the ambulance service is on its way in an emergency.
