Powerful talks for students

Visiting speaker Martin Cosser, founder of the charity Charlie’s Promise, was at Worth this week to deliver important talks to Years 9 and 10 about the devastating impact of knife crime.

Martin’s son Charlie was stabbed and subsequently passed away after attending a party in West Sussex in 2023. Martin and his family set up Charlie’s Promise to raise awareness of their story and to help fight against the rising issue of knife crime. Through education, awareness and community engagement, they hope to create a safer UK.

Martin shared his personal story and introduced students to Fearless, a Crimestoppers initiative that enables anonymous reporting. He also gave practical advice on how to respond if someone is carrying a knife and how to seek help.

Pupils described the talk as “powerful,” with others saying, “All young people need to attend this talk.”

Following the talk, students reflected on how Martin’s personal experience connected meaningfully to the charity’s mission. One Year 10 student said: “The talk was hard-hitting yet impressive. Martin was clear to highlight the low statistical risk of being a victim, but by using Charlie’s story to highlight knife crime and offering clear steps to stay safe and report incidents, it was hugely impressive and really helped us. We can’t thank Martin enough.”

The talks were part of our PSHE programme. The personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) curriculum at Worth offers a broad range of information, experiences and resources to draw upon for all year groups.

For more on an education at Worth click here.

For more information on the charity click here.