Spoken word campaign reaches thousands of young people across Merseyside

Thousands of Year 7, 8 and 9 pupils across Merseyside have taken part in assemblies aimed at educating them about the dangers of joining gangs and carrying knives, as part of a spoken word campaign.

More than 5,000 pupils from 15 schools in Wirral, Liverpool and Sefton have engaged in the Dear Merseyside project with Liverpool poet Joseph Roberts so far this year.

During whole‑year assemblies, Joseph has delivered his powerful Dear Merseyside poem and video - a love letter to the county - created as part of the wider EVOLVE operation.

EVOLVE is a Clear, Hold, Build initiative backed by the Home Office and first launched in Merseyside following the tragic murders of Sam Rimmer, Ashley Dale and Olivia Pratt-Korbel in August 2022 with four sites operating across Merseyside.

Joseph’s assemblies aim to empower young people to make positive choices, follow their ambitions, and avoid being drawn into criminality or gangs.

This week, around 200 pupils from Years 7, 8 and 9 across 12 schools attended two events at Anfield stadium. These included targeted workshops linked to the themes of Dear Merseyside, designed to help pupils make positive decisions and reinforce EVOLVE’s core ‘love where you live’ message.

Supported by Merseyside Police’s Safer Schools Officers team, the smaller sessions allowed pupils to explore issues in more depth, build confidence in recognising and responding to exploitation, and develop a stronger awareness of the dangers of carrying knives.

Workshops from kNOwKnifeCrime and KnifeSavers helped pupils understand the consequences of carrying a knife and included life‑saving guidance from trauma surgeons on how to help someone who has been stabbed until professional help arrives.

Ariel Trust and Merseyside Youth Association, supported by Merseyside Violence Reduction Partnership, delivered workshops exploring exploitation and the bystander approach.

These sessions equipped pupils with a practical ‘social skills toolkit,’ including communication, anger management, emotional regulation, empathy, and conflict resolution. Pupils worked through interactive scenarios to understand challenges, perceptions, and solutions to help keep themselves and others safe.

Everton in the Community, LFC Foundation and Springboard Media Agency supported pupils in creating hands‑on mood boards celebrating what makes Merseyside a great place to live.

This was followed by a spoken word workshop led by Joseph Roberts, giving pupils guided support to write their own Dear Merseyside poems with nominated pupils from each school performing their poems at the end of each session.

All poems, including those created back in school, will be considered for inclusion in a published anthology of Dear Merseyside poetry.

Detective Chief Superintendent Graeme Robson, who leads the EVOLVE operation, said: “The response from young people has been really encouraging. It is wonderful to see so many reacting positively to poetry and using it as a vehicle to express their hopes for their communities and potential solutions to the issues they face.

“Engaging with young people early is crucial in preventing exploitation and building trust.

“Through these assemblies and workshops, we are not only raising awareness but also giving young people the tools and confidence to make informed decisions and stay safe, as well as providing them with an opportunity to make a difference through their poetry.

“The Dear Merseyside campaign forms part of a wider commitment to prevention and early intervention, working in partnership with schools, our partners and communities to protect young people from harm and keep our neighbourhoods safer.”

Joseph Roberts spoke to the young people about the importance of using their voices to be part of the solution to tackling crime and social issues in Merseyside.

He said: "It's been a privilege to work alongside Merseyside Police over the past couple of years using spoken word to create real impact in the community.

"What began with the Dear Merseyside video has grown and evolved into powerful moments like the assemblies and the two-day event at LFC.

"The events brought together thought-provoking workshops and creative exploration, giving pupils the space to reflect on their communities, think critically, and find their own voice.

"Through poetry, they explored difficult issues and developed the confidence to express their perspectives and ideas for change.

"For me, poetry is accessible, engaging and powerful. When young people articulate what they want to see change - in their own words - it resonates far beyond the room. 

"It's not just about becoming poets, but also about gaining the skills, confidence and voice to be heard.

"By combining creativity with strong cultural touchpoints, we're able to engage even the most hard-to-reach pupils, opening up conversations that matter. The impact continues to grow.

"Because ultimately, understanding the power of words and using your voice matters - silence is not an option."

Rachael Mutch, project coordinator and lead theatre practitioner for Ariel Trust, said: "These workshops were about more than raising awareness - they're about giving young people the confidence, skills, and support to make safer choices. Every conversation we have could be the one that changes a life."

Rhiann Barrett, Mentors in Violence Prevention Lead at MYA, said: “Being a part of workshops such as these allow youth workers to create safe places for young people to explore how to be an active bystander when situations arise such as weapon carrying.

“It was great to engage with young people and explore what they would do, and think about challenging the social norms and grass culture in the future.”

Laura Hughes, founder of kNOWKnifeCrime, said: "The kNOwKnifeCrime campaign welcomed the opportunity to be involved, supporting young people to understand the consequences of knife crime while, alongside KnifeSavers, delivering vital lifesaving first aid skills."

Dr Nicole Russell, co-director and education lead for KnifeSavers, added: "It was brilliant to come together with partners to engage with young people on such positive days.

"The young people not only walked away with lifesaving bleeding control skills, but also truly reflected on the clear message that there is no safe place to be stabbed, as evidenced in the brilliant poetry they produced."

This is the second phase of the project which launched at the Odeon in December 2024, supported by the families of Sam, Ashley, Olivia and Elle Edwards whose murder sparked the launch of EVOLVE Wirral in December 2022, and last year saw around 2,800 Year 8 pupils take part in the initiative.

The campaign reached thousands more through a targeted social media campaign that led to more than 13,000 13-to-18-year-olds visiting Fearless which is Crimestoppers’ website for young people.

Further phases of the campaign will continue to expand engagement with young people across Merseyside, ensuring that communities are better informed and equipped to tackle the challenges posed by organised crime.

Click here to watch the 'Dear Merseyside' video.