Colchester welcomes the Knife Angel
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, […]
Knife Harm Awareness Week and Operation Sceptre
“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 […]
Campaign to raise awareness of knife harm
New research undertaken by the Essex Violence and Vulnerability Unit (VVU) shows that 69% of parents in Essex are concerned about knife crime in their local area. Two thirds of parents are also worried about their child becoming a victim of knife crime. The VVU has responded to these concerns by producing four short films […]
Community Grants launched for 2023 delivery
We have launched our Community Grants fund for 2022 – 2024. As a partnership, our goal is to reduce serious violence, the harm it causes, and to safeguard those at risk, specifically relating to county lines, gangs and knife crime. Local organisations do some amazing work that addresses these issues and the grant fund is […]
Essex Countywide Violence and Vulnerability Unit is recruiting – come and join our team! July 2022
This an exciting opportunity for anyone passionate and motivated about transforming the way Serious Violence is addressed. Essex is one of twenty areas that have secured funding from the Home Office to develop a Violence Reduction Unit (VRU). The Essex VRU (known as the Violence & Vulnerability Unit) has been established to collaborate across organisational […]
People, Partnerships and Prevention Conference: May 2022
Last week the VVU attended the People, Partnerships and Prevention Conference hosted by the PFCC for Essex, Roger Hirst. The conference gave delegates the chance to hear about how partners across Essex are united in their work to help communities stay safe, prevent crime and protect the vulnerable. We listened to Professor Jonathan Shepherd explain […]
