Priority Area: Communications - raising awareness

We’re excited to launch our new Essex VVU hashtag #ConnectBelongStaySafe, and we’d love your support in spreading the message across Essex!  This initiative is all about encouraging young people to find safe, supportive spaces where they can thrive – and the Essex Youth Map is a key part of that mission.   The Essex Youth Map shows […]

We are delighted that our successful knife harm awareness campaign – that encourages parents to have a conversation with their children about the dangers of knife harm – has received awards in three recent industry events. In the European Agency Awards the campaign won first place in the not-for-profit category for best use of social […]

Specialist Police Officers dedicated to working with businesses are working with retailers across the county to clamp down on the sale of knives in a bid to drive down crime. Officers have been visiting businesses that sell knives to seek their agreement to sign a “Responsible Retailer Initiative”, a fresh agreement around the ethical and […]

The VVU had the pleasure of welcoming the High Sheriff Charles Bishop and his wife Nellie to Kelvedon Park last Tuesday so they could learn more about the work of the Violence and Vulnerability Unit and our approach to tackling serious violence. The team spoke in detail about the local projects we support, the use […]

The Knife Angel arrived in Colchester on the 1 October. A tightly navigated route into Colchester saw the sculpture secured in position by the Jumbo Tower where it will remain for the next month. Since the sculpture has been in the city, volunteers at the site have engaged with hundreds of members of the public, […]

“If there are two things I want people to understand, it’s that not everyone is carrying a knife – not even close – and that you should never think that carrying one is good for protection.” Those are the words of Detective Chief Inspector Ian Hughes, of Essex Police serious violence unit, as a week-long […]