'Bitter sweet' victory as murder victim’s parents unveil first of 12 planned knife bins

Mark Brindley said he was hoping plans for a dozen of the bins would help drive down knife crime at the launch of the first one outside Aldridge Social Club, on Aldridge High Street, Walsall.

The surrender bins bear the name of the James Brindley Foundation, a charity set up after the murder of much-loved fitness instructor James Brindley. The 26-year-old was fatally stabbed in the chest as he walked home in June 2017 with a 17-year-old boy, Ammar Kahrod, later found guilty of murder.

The loss has sparked a drive in James' parents, Mark and Beverley, to help tackle the threat of knife crime and to do everything they can to save lives.

In a poignant unveiling ceremony at Aldridge, Mark said: "These new bins offer an opportunity to hand in knives without the need to travel long distances, and risk prosecution. "These bins will help to keep knives out of pockets and off the streets.

"We have had nothing but good conversations surrounding the impact that these bins will be, it's not just about the bins, it's about the foundation building relationships with communities.

The Aldridge bin will be the first of 12 other knife amnesty bins to be placed around the area with seven disposal units already being funded by organisations in the region. And the charity is looking for other organisations to help fund the remaining bins, with the foundation still accepting applications from groups and businesses.

Mark added: "We have funded seven of these bins, we need another five for the area, donations would be gratefully accepted and as you can see the bins have the option to text in donations where the money will go straight into the funds.

"We know that violence is not inevitable, but it is preventable and it is predictable, so if we have these elements, then we have the solution, and we can offer help through the James Brindley Foundation."

West Midlands Mayor Andy Street attended the unveiling and thanked the Brindley family for their push to rid the streets of weapons for good.

He said: "I want to really thank the Brindley family for the incredible determination they have shown to make sure that their son's life was not lost in vain.

"I want to say thank you on behalf of everyone in Walsall for helping to make our streets more secure, especially for the younger people in the area."

"I think it is very poignant that these initiatives are run by local people who have been affected by knife crime, I would argue that it is more poignant for these families to be doing this."

The Government currently funds the Violence Reduction Partnership, which focuses on understanding the causes of violence and the reasons why people get drawn into a life of crime.

Anyone looking for more information on the James Brindley Foundation, or for ways to donate can find more information on the organisation's website jamesbrindleyfoundation.co.uk/ways-you-can-donate/