Jumble Sale Extended!

The Jumble Sale is now closed, we’ve had a cracking day and made a decent chunk of change towards Harmony’s good work

While it was a wonderful success, we’ve still got quite a bit of stuff left to sell. With that in mind we are going to be continuing the jumble until the end of next week (2nd May) so if you want to grab a bargain and support a local charity, come on down!

Thank you so much to everyone who came by, those who brought items and those who just came by to have a look and say Hello, you were all so lovely

BIG Jumble Sale Alert!

Get ready for a treasure hunt of bargains at our Jumble Sale next month! ๐ŸŽ‰

๐Ÿ›๏ธ Quality items at unbeatable prices โ€“ starting from just 50p!

๐Ÿ‘• Clothes, ๐ŸŽฒ toys, ๐Ÿ“š books, ๐Ÿฝ๏ธ kitchenware & so much more!

๐Ÿ“… When? 24th April | โฐ 10 AM – 2:30pm

๐Ÿ“ Where? The Picture House on Bradshawgate in Bolton

more details to be revealed as we get closer ๐Ÿ’™

Every purchase supports a local charity, so come shop guilt-free and grab amazing deals! ๐Ÿ’™

20 Christmas food hampers & toy donations!

This Christmas, thanks to some wonderful funding, we’ve been able to provide our community with 20 Christmas food hampers! ๐Ÿ˜ฎ๐ŸŽ„

Plus with donations from our community and Lidl customers we’ve been able to share over 30 brand new toys for all the children of families collecting โค๏ธ We’re so unbelievably grateful for everything our community has given, shared and donated these last few weeks and can’t believe we’re not even done yet! ๐Ÿ’™

Knife Crime Awareness Meeting at Harmony Centre

The increase in knife crime among youth in the UK has become a pressing concern. Factors such as poverty, social exclusion, gang involvement, and lack of opportunities contribute to this rise. Young people often carry knives for perceived self-protection or status, but this exacerbates violence. Urban areas, particularly in cities like London, see the highest rates. Government initiatives, such as increased policing, awareness campaigns, and youth intervention programmes, aim to tackle the issue. However, addressing the root causesโ€”poverty, education, and community supportโ€”remains crucial for long-term solutions.

At Harmony, we take the issue of knife crime very seriously, as it directly impacts the safety and wellbeing of young people in our community. Sadly, we have observed a concerning rise in knife-related incidents within our local borough, reflecting a broader national trend.

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In response, we recently hosted a think tank evening that brought together prominent individuals deeply committed to tackling this critical issue. This gathering served as a platform for sharing insights, experiences, and ideas. It allowed diverse voicesโ€”from community leaders to youth advocatesโ€”to collaboratively explore practical actions that could address both the violence itself and its underlying causes.

The discussions emphasised the importance of prevention through education, community engagement, and support for young people at risk. Together, we aim to develop strategies that not only reduce knife crime but also foster a culture of nonviolence, understanding, and opportunity for youth in our borough. This event marked the beginning of a unified effort to tackle knife crime and its root causes head-on.

Our event and overarching mission are driven by Harmonyโ€™s Founder, Mr. Charlie Barrett, whose extensive experience in youth work spans over 20 years. Mr. Barrett has dedicated his career to addressing the challenges faced by young people, making it his personal mission to combat anti-social behaviour and, in particular, knife crime.

Under his leadership, Harmony remains committed to creating safe, supportive spaces for young people while working tirelessly to tackle the root causes of violence. Through education, mentorship, and community initiatives, Mr. Barrett and the Harmony team strive to empower youth, reduce harm, and promote a future free from the shadow of knife crime.

This briefing looks at statistics on knife crime in England and Wales. It uses police recorded crime data to evaluate trends over time and to compare knife crime between police force areas, with a section focussing specifically on knife crime in London. Sentencing statistics are also used to look at outcomes of proven posession offences. The final section of this briefing examines NHS hospital data to supplement police and court data.

Police Recorded Crime

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The Office for National Statistics (ONS) publishes data on crimes recorded by police involving a knife or sharp instrument for a selection of serious violent offences.

In the year ending March 2023, there were around 50,500 offences involving a sharp instrument in England and Wales (excluding Devon & Cornwall). This was 4.7% higher than in 2021/22 but 7% lower than in 2019/20.

Knife crime by police force area

ONS data shows that in 2022/23, West Midlands Police recorded the highest rate of 178 offences per 100,000 population. In contrast, the North Yorkshire recorded the lowest rate of 35 offences each, per 100,000 population.

Proven offences and offenders

Sentencing statistics from the Ministry of Justice shows that in the year ending March 2023, there were just over 19,000 cautions and convictions made for possession of a knife or offensive weapon. Juveniles (aged 10-17) were the offenders in around 18% of cases.

Hospital admissions

Police and courts crime data depends on offences being reported to the authorities, which is a weakness. To get a more rounded view on knife crime it is useful to supplement this information with alternative sources such as NHS hospital data.Data from NHS Digital shows there were 3,775 โ€œhospital episodesโ€ recorded in English hospitals in 2022/23 due to assault by a sharp object. This was a 9.5% decrease compared to 2021/22, and a 3.6% increase compared to 2014/15.

Halloween Club Day 2!

Our second and final Halloween activity day was smashing! ๐ŸŽƒ (No pumpkins were harmed or smashed for the purpose of this pun ๐Ÿคฃ)
We had some wonderful children in for pumpkin carving, mummy wrapping, monster designing and so much more! ๐Ÿ‘ป๐Ÿงก
Thank you so much to all the children, staff and wonderful volunteers for making this Halloween extra spooky and extra special ๐ŸŽƒ๐Ÿงก

check out our pumpkins!

Halloween Club Day 1!

The first of our 2 days of Halloween club is done and we’ve had a blast! The children have made monster masks, decorated ornaments, danced until they couldn’t anymore and decorated lots and lots of biscuits! ๐ŸŽƒ The children had such a good time showing their creativity and enjoying these sweet treats ๐Ÿ‘ป๐Ÿคฉ

Harmony’s Halloween club!

๐ŸŽƒ Only 7 spaces left on each day!

Note: I forgot to add the address and ages to the previous poster so please make note of those in this updated one ๐Ÿ˜Š

Get ready for two days of spooktacular fun! We’re excited to offer an amazing experience filled with creative crafts, thrilling games, artistic pumpkin designing, and much more!

๐Ÿ—“ When: Tuesday, October 29th & Thursday, October 31st
๐Ÿ•’ Time: 10 AM – 2 PM

Donโ€™t miss out on this enchanting Halloween adventure! Bring your friends and unleash your creativity. Spaces are limited, so reserve your spot today! ๐Ÿ‘ป