Luton youth group creates ‘safe card’ with stab victim first aid information after friend's death

The card was made by youth workers and teenagers from Luton, Dunstable and Surrounding Kenyan Community Forum (LDSKCF) after getting the idea from Luton News’ photographer, Tony Margiocchi.

The teens, with help from Mwangi Muturi, the group’s youth coordinator, chose the wording, using slang to make the information more accessible.

The cards were handed out during a child criminal exploitation awareness event at Luton Town and Indians Cricket Club on Saturday (June 1), days after a birthday celebration for the late Derrick Kinyua.

The 19-year-old was a young Kenyan man who died in Luton after being fatally stabbed last April. Many of the young people in the room were his friends and were involved in making the card as useful as possible, in the hope of not losing another life to knife crime.

Mwangi explained: “We had a concept of something small that they can carry wherever they go, [the cards] go behind their phones, fit in their pockets and wallets. It’s like a small lifesaver.”

The cards were paid for by LDSKCF members and are hoped to be rolled out in schools and other young groups, with the words being translated into different languages.

Mwangi added: “If you've got a card that is boring, it wouldn't have made an impact. I used a bit of slang to capture their attention and to get the message across.”

Princess Wangaa, LDSKCF’s secretary general, said: “When we heard that Derrick was stabbed, it was a wake-up call that this is real. When he died, it hit home and that's when I knew that we needed to educate these children and to make them more aware of what is going on. We cannot wrap them in cotton forever.

“But when they have this knowledge when they know what is out there, and then when they know what to look out for and get away from.”

The issue of knife crime and gang affiliation was the topic of the day, shining a light on the signs that a child is being groomed or exploited and inspiring the youngsters to choose a better path.

Nana Agyeman, director of Access UK (African Caribbean Careers & Employment Support Services UK) said: “The key thing for me is early intervention. So not starting when it's too late, starting in primary school and giving young people an identity.

“It [knife crime] is being framed as a black problem, but we are all affected by it.”

The mother of a young man who was jailed for attempted murder after getting involved in a gang also attended the event. She gave a powerful message to those getting involved with criminal gangs: “It kills a family, it is only you who is going through that. People don’t understand because they have not lived it.”

Other attendees also spoke about their views.

Irene Ndungu, based in Houghton Regis, said: “It feels safer that they are aware of what’s going on, combined with the fact that they are equipped with the skills of what to do if something happens.”

Rachel Mwai, who came with her two sons, added: “If we don’t fight for our children, we have nobody to fight for them.”

Cadets from St John’s Ambulance service, with nurse Jane Unwin, gave demonstrations about serious wound treatment and how to perform CPR. Jane said: “It’s great to be a part of this, and for our cadets to share their skills with other young people.”

Speaking at the event, LDSKCF founder, and deputy Dunstable mayor and councillor, Sally Kimondo said: “Let’s continue to remember him [Derrick] and make sure this doesn’t happen again.”

Luton Borough councillor Maria Lovell told the group that the ‘Knife Angel’ sculpture made out of 100,000 surrendered knives is coming to Luton in August.

PSCO Danny McHugh said: “Learn first aid, because when something happens, people panic, and once you’ve had that training, it becomes second nature.”

Kimberley Campbell-Lamb, director of Legitimacy and Public Service at Bedfordshire Police, said: “It's a very important point to note that knife crime isn't just a black issue. It’s all about prevention and that’s what my VERU unit was about.”

JD Sport gift vouchers, donated by Social Personnel, were handed out to encourage the young people to listen to the information and answer questions after each part of the session.