THE Daniel Fox Foundation say being given a cash boost by Merseyside Police to educate youths on the dangers of knife crime would make "Daniel so proud of us".

Daniel Fox, a carer with autistic young adults, was 29 when he was stabbed to death in September 2016 while celebrating a friend’s birthday in St Helens.

His grief-stricken family wanted no one else to experience their pain, so established The Daniel Fox Foundation to raise awareness of knife crime and the effect it has not only on victims but their loved ones.

They have been going into schools across the borough giving presentations to students on the dangers of knife crime, and after putting in a bid to Merseyside Police's Community Cashback Fund, they have now been told they will receive £56,500 funding to kick-start a Primary Prevention Programme.

This money has been seized from criminals under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

St Helens Star:

Daniel Fox's family at the Pride of St Helens Awards in 2018

The money will be used by the foundation towards their knife crime awareness presentations which will be delivered to children aged 9-25 in schools and higher education establishments in St Helens.

The foundation is to spend it on video production, merchandise, training, a website and IT as well as a member of staff to coordinate the work.

Daniel’s auntie Dawn Jones said: “We were absolutely overwhelmed when we found out we got this funding.

"Losing Daniel was the worst thing to ever happen to our family, but I know Daniel would be so proud of us after seeing what we have done to keep his name going and help others to never experience what we have.

"St Helens came to help us when Daniel was taken from us, they never stopped supporting us, and this community and others around it are in crisis.

"Knife crime cannot be tolerated, and a key way to make a difference is to share our story, Daniel's story, and speak to youths about the dangers of carrying a knife because they are most at risk of using them in the future.

St Helens Star:

Tributes left for Daniel after he died

"We cannot do it alone, other victim's families are doing amazing work in their communities such as Sam Cooke's family and Adam Ellison's, but St Helens is our community and with this money, we will do all we can from workshops, interviews and re-enactments videos to show children and young people that carrying a knife is never ok.

"It's about protecting our children, and future generations. We can't stop all knife crime, but we can do our best to raise awareness of what it causes and hopefully save lives in the process.

"It's the best thing we can do in Daniel's memory.

“Everyone has a part to play in changing the mindset of people who carry knives, and we want to do what we can to create a climate where carrying knives is never acceptable on our streets.”

Superintendent Tami Garvey-Jones added: “The Daniel Fox Foundation has been doing great work ever since it was created.

“They have a powerful message to share, and when they came to us with ambitious plans to expand their efforts to educate more young people on the dangers of carrying knives, we were delighted to be in a position to help.

St Helens Star:

Daniel

“This partnership ties in perfectly with our own efforts to combat knife crime. While we have carried out land searches for weapons, executed warrants and regularly stop search people if we suspect they may be carrying knives, we can’t fight knife crime alone.

“Arresting offenders and putting them before the courts, and seizing knives, is a huge part of what we do – but making sure people don’t pick up knives in the first place is just as important.

“We work closely with our partners in the local authorities and other agencies such as the prison service and youth offending service, and the Daniel Fox Foundation can and does play a vital part in educating young people about the dangers of carrying knives to themselves and others.

“It makes it all the more satisfying that this programme has been funded with cash taken from the assets of the very criminals the police and the Daniel Fox Foundation want to remove from our streets.

“The vast majority of young people want to do something positive with their time and with their futures, free from the exploitation of criminals. Our Community Cashback Fund has allowed us to use criminals’ ill-gotten gains to fund schemes that help them do just that right across Merseyside, from community centers and boxing clubs to a community garden.”