Patchwork quilt of support services keeping people safe

A “patchwork quilt” of support services are doing “amazing” work together behind the scenes to prevent knife crime and keep people safe in Nottinghamshire.

That was the message from Maxine Cockett, CEO of Nottingham-based youth organisation Breaking Barriers Building Bridges, when she was interviewed by BBC Radio Nottingham yesterday evening.

Maxine, who has been involved in youth work in the city for nearly 47 years, explained that while many people see frightening images of knife incidents that gain traction on social media, they may not be exposed as much to the huge range of positive work by brilliant community organisations who are helping young people to turn their lives around or be supported away from exploitation and violence.

Speaking to BBC presenter Arun Verma, Maxine spoke about how the Violence Reduction Partnership (VRP), the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC), Nottinghamshire Police and community and voluntary organisations have been coming together to have real success in reducing knife crime over a number of years.

“We do it together. It can only be together that we are stronger. But also what we have to remember, when people see horrific things that happen, that also there’s loads of things going on in the background,” said Maxine.

“Every incident of crime is devastating for communities but there has been a reduction in the last five years, and people don’t see that.

“And what people also don’t see is there are so many organisations who are doing some amazing work in our city to keep young people safe.

“It’s like a quilt. This is how I see it in my head – it’s like a patchwork. We all do little pieces and together we make a quilt. We can’t work without each other.”

Breaking Barriers Building Bridges, whose work involves youth workers going out on the streets of Nottingham to engage with and support young people, are one of a number of organisations who receive funding from the VRP and the OPCC to help prevent knife crime.

In the last year, a record £880,000 has been spent on serious violence and knife crime interventions in Nottinghamshire, through the VRP and OPCC.

Maxine appeared on the BBC Radio Nottingham show alongside Courtney Rose, Executive Director of Take 1 Studio, which is an independent school and specialist provider for young people with additional needs, with facilities including a recording studio, dance studio and ICT suite.

Courtney said providing a safe space and trusted environment was important when supporting young people.

“It about them seeing a familiar face, you understanding youth culture and being able to gain their trust,” he said.

“Then you can start peeling away at that onion. With Take 1 we’ve built something that is… we all call it family, It’s not an organisation. They come here and they know that when they’re at Take 1 they’re safe. They are in an environment that is caring.

“They can sit down and have those conversations because they know the people around, are local people. A lot of people who now work at Take 1 are people who we’ve invested in and got them through their qualifications. One of them got their masters.

“I’m about investing in people an allowing them to grow and see the bigger picture, and then give back.”

The VRP, which is funded by the Home Office and convened by Police and Crime Commissioner Gary Godden, was formed in Nottingham in 2019 and is responsible for the strategic leadership and coordination of activity across the City and County to reduce and prevent serious violence using a public health approach which aims to tackle the root causes over the long term.

Since the VRP was set up, knife crime has fallen significantly. In 2018-19 there were over 1,000 recorded knife crimes in Nottinghamshire, according to the Office for National Statistics. In the last year, there were just over 800.

While this represents a drop of almost a fifth, partner agencies recognise that every incident is one too many and they must continue working to tackle the issue.

PCC Godden said: “I completely recognise that, for many people, it is deeply upsetting when they see knife incidents in the local media and particularly on social media where it can be so immediate and without context or any reassurance.

“As we have seen recently, it only takes one concerning knife incident to cause huge levels of fear among regular citizens.

“The police response to the recent machete incident was excellent, resulting in seven arrests and an increased high-visibility uniformed presence in the city centre to show solidarity and support for local citizens.

“As Maxine and Courtney – both very experienced youth professionals in Nottingham - have explained, there also is a huge support network for the people of Nottinghamshire that operates behind the scenes and often out of the glare of the media and social media spotlight, which is achieving great things.

“We have seen record investment in tackling serious violence and knife crime this year, and we have seen big reductions in knife crime in recent years, and while there is still lots of work to do, I hope this gives people some reassurance that we are working hard to keep them safe and that we are stronger together.”

Superintendent Chris Pearson, of Nottinghamshire Police, chaired a stakeholder meeting with local community organisations working to reduce knife crime, at Nottingham’s Central Police Station yesterday.

Speaking at the meeting he said: “We want to achieve a really strong partnership that impacts out there.

“We have to work together. We have seen some really difficult times in the city recently but the purpose of getting everyone around the room is to try to change the culture and issues that we see in the city for the better, and most importantly to make the lives of young people better.”

• To listen to the full radio interview with Maxine and Courtney, click here BBC Local Radio - Arun Verma, 25/11/2025