Footballer Rio Ferdinand this week joined John Reid, the Home Secretary, to launch the “Respect Your Life Not A Knife” campaign on the sixth anniversary of Damilola Taylor’s death. The initiative hopes to convince youngsters of the dangers of knives and reduce street violence.
The Manchester United defender grew up in Peckham, south-east London, where Damilola was stabbed in November 2000.
“Trying to be a gangster isn’t cool,” he said. “Kids who carry knives and weapons have their lives changed irreversibly.”
Every school in the country will be encouraged to build a “wall pledge” in Damilola’s memory, , which could contain poems, comments and thoughts,
