Author & Honorary Member of NSPCC Council @ChristiGabbitas has visited over 150 #schools with various #police forces - to ensure children understand what it means to be exploited, #countylines & the dangers of carrying knives. DM for details. #earlyintervention #safeguarding

‼️Calling all educators and all who prioratize the wellbeing of children and young people‼️ A special thanks to the 40 judges who are contributing to the success of this initiative in its second year! The submission deadline is June 30th. Please help us spread the word within your networks. The top prizes are £500, £350, and £150, along with the opportunity for the top forty to be featured in the "Listen Up Book 2." An exhibition of this work will be showcased at the largest UK music litertature festival, @Lthanwordsfest, in Manchester in November.

Nine years on we remember those who tragically died and all who were affected by the Grenfell Tower fire. As always on the anniversary, our thoughts are also with the emergency services on scene and in the control room that day.

Over the past few days, I had the pleasure of participating, alongside talented artists Adisa the Verbaliser, Donovan Christopher (Rappaman), and Hafiza Issa, who are all spoken word artists, poets, and authors . On Wednesday and Thursday we visited secondary schools for part of the Children & Young People’s festival @ChildrensLFests Adisa, an acclaimed international performance poet, is known for his energetic and humorous style, often blending physical movement into his art. His work frequently delves into themes related to his Afro-Caribbean heritage and the broader African diaspora. Meanwhile, Donovan Christopher, is celebrated for his dynamic workshops, which he conducts across the UK and beyond. His sessions emphasize self-respect and cultural diversity, often featuring Jamaican patois while addressing critical issues such as bullying and cyberbullying. Hafiza Issa, who juggles her busy life raising three children, crafts performance poems that reflect universal themes of family, politics, and personal experiences. She has contributed to a poetry anthology in Manchester and has a published story "Earmuffs to the Moon," a book aimed at challenging misconceptions about autism by illuminating the perspectives of neurodivergent minds. Hafiza is dedicated to promoting awareness and acceptance of autism, inspiring others to pursue their goals with positivity. During the festival, I had the opportunity to deliver sessions to students in years 7, 8, and 9 at both schools, focusing on the power of storytelling in conveying vital messages about county lines exploitation, knife crime, and vaping. My sessions were also attended by the local policing team. Collaborating with police forces across the country, I developed resources tackling issues such as exploitation and knife crime. I firmly believe in the power of storytelling to effectively communicate these important messages, and both schools were presented with graphic style stories to further address these topics. Whether in schools or festivals, our collective inputs created impactful storytelling, encouraging cultural awareness, confidence, creativity, and crime.

.@SimonFosterPCC was delighted to host the @StreetWatchWM Awards to recognise the outstanding volunteers keeping our streets safe. We now have 848 members across 128 groups in the #WestMidlands deterring crime and building safer neighbourhoods. More 👉 shorturl.at/ummkS

Many have since joined this lifesaving movement, but it began with Daniel's legacy and a family's commitment to preventing others from suffering the same tragedy. @Chappers2013 @TurtleMedical @BleedMap @sweetliofficial @letsget_talking @HSofWestGlam @OFFICIALWMAS @ukhomeoffice

North Yorkshire author taking on 40 races for Childline anniversary ift.tt/v72y813

I had the privilege of meeting Brayden Hartley, and the leader of Blackburn with Darwen Council, Phil Riley. Brayden’s poem was published in the award-winning "Listen Up" poetry book, that gave young people a voice about county lines exploitation and knife crime. This post is poignant, as this is the @kinsellatrust KNIFE CRIME AWARENESS week, which I'm proud to be supporting. I am a strong advocate for amplifying the voices of children and young people, and I have listened to their feedback, which has inspired me to create a follow-up initiative that remains open until the end of June; details can be found here. lnkd.in/evuzjTaC FREE animation resources to help educate and talk around the issues are available here: No More Knives or County Lines: (includes injury from stabbing) lnkd.in/dhsqdkZ Trapped in County Lines (fatality from stabbing) lnkd.in/eUXVxQZu Missing: lnkd.in/eGrKz5bg

Very proud to have received this book award that gave young people a voice about county lines exploitation and knife crime. I attended Rossett School in Harrogate to thank Imogen Johnson, for being the catalyst for the project. Here’s the article by @Haydnpress @yorkpress yorkpress.co.uk/news/2610324… @kinsellatrust

Thank you so much to the directors of the People's Book Prize for recognising the value in this work. This is a great accolade to all the published writers. Huge thanks to all the children and young people who submitted work for this anthology. This voluntary inititive was part inspired by a student from Rossett High in Harrogate, who submitted a poem to North Yorkshire Police, after a session i delivered with them. After delivering sessions into hundreds of schools, I was shocked at the lack of education surrounding county lines exploitation and related knife crime after hearing so many distressing real life stories while working on my commissioned projects, making our children and young people more vulnerable. I recieved poems and lyrics from across the UK, including children and young people who have been exploited. This initiative was a great way to give children and young people a voice. Special thanks to North Yorkshire Police @YMCALincs , and Dean Coady OBE SRMC for believing in my mission and assisting me with funding. Huge thanks to all the judges from various ranks in policing, victims of exploitation, youth workers, social workers, parents, carers, and spoken words artists who have all supported me, including Tracey Holdsworth NSPCC, and Sandra Baah at Catch22 charity. Thanks to the National County Lines Coordination Centre (NCLCC) for their continued support with this project. Listen Up has so far raised £3,200 for @NSPCC Childline: justgiving.com/team/listenup…

Thanks @yorkpress @Haydnpress for highlighting my work with the National County Lines Coordination Centre (NCLCC) More early education ‘face to face’ intervention is needed in ALL primary and secondary schools. Since working on my commissioned projects, it’s evident that any child anywhere can be a victim of exploitation.@ChildrensComm @annelongfield

The launch of the second phase of my national initiative focused on educating about the devastating impacts of county lines exploitation and associated knife crime is now open until June 30th 2026. Every day, children and young people are going missing due to exploitation. We are inviting young people aged 12-21 to write lyrics/poetry on the subject. Here’s a link to the animation that’s based on a true story. youtu.be/qb6I2cshpzM?si… This initiative also offers a fantastic opportunity for entrants to have their poetry/lyrics published in the Listen Up2! book, with a chance to win a top prize of £500 in vouchers or cash. Please remember that all entries must be submitted with the involvement of a mentor, school representative, parent, or guardian. Here’s a link to the website with judges from across the UK! missingstory.co.uk/competiti…

The best time to venture out for an early morning run. Enjoy your Easter Monday. 🐣 I’m running 40 x 10k’s for @nspcc Childline’s 40th Birthday💚. If you would like to help give children a lifeline with childline, join our team to help raise awareness, or donate here: justgiving.com/team/listenup…

Yesterday, I was proud to be presenting at my fourth National County Lines Coordination Centre (NCLCC) conference for the Yorkshire and Humber region, held at the Guildhall York. During my talk, I continued to highlight the positive outcomes of my early intervention work on county lines exploitation and associated crime in primary and secondary schools, as well as colleges, which i’ve been working on since 2019. It was rewarding and reassuring to receive positive feedback from delegates.

Today, i will be speaking and sharing the positive impact of my earlier intervention work in primary, secondary schools, and colleges at the @YHROCU with National County Lines Coordination Centre (NCLCC) in #York. #countylines #knifecrime #exploitation

Lovely scenes out running this morning. Another 10k for @NSPCC #Childline40thBirthday. Current team total in celebration of this vital service is 🥁🥁🥁£2,637. Target £40k. Click here to donate, or join our team: justgiving.com/team/listenup… 💚🤗

Today, I was invited to speak at the National County Lines Coordination Centre (NCLCC) with South West Regional Organised Crime Unit @SWROCU conference held in Gloucester. This marks the third conference sharing my early intervention work for NCLCC. I was fortunate to connect with some incredible people during the event. It’s reassuring to know that we all share a common belief in the importance of early intervention, especially as children are increasingly becoming victims of exploitation at younger ages. I was shocked to learn that even six-year-olds are being targeted! Special mention to all speakers: @DrLBainbridge DC Paul Ben, Devon Cornwall Police, DC James Rudge Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary, Escapeline, and Challenge Academy. Not forgetting Forensic Analytics Ltd, Gus the wellbeing dog @OscarKiloNine, and the inspirational Androulla (Andri) Vai Nicolaou @ASPolice who has been very supportive of my national initiative. Huge thanks you to T/DCI Mark Whittaker @Glos_Police , Helen Rowe, and Sarah Hutton for making me welcome.

A group of smugglers who were part of a vast drugs supply network have been sentenced. Officers from the Organised Crime Partnership – a joint NCA and @MetPoliceUK Unit – investigated the enterprise which was regularly supplying London with large amounts of drugs. FULL STORY ➡️ nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/n…

National Crime Agency officers have launched an investigation following the seizure of around one tonne of cocaine at London Gateway port. The drugs were found by @ukhomeoffice on Friday 20 March in a container which had been shipped from Panama. FULL STORY ➡️ nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/n…

More sessions at Clifton Community School, Rotherham. Thanks to students and teachers for the warm welcome. During the sessions, I shared insights from research on the narratives I create to raise awareness about county lines exploitation and related criminal activities. I also highlighted the national initiative that has given young people an opportunity to express themselves through poetry and lyrics, and recited some poems. The students were invited to submit work. A special thank you to the South Yorkshire Police Child Exploitation Teams for commissioning my work and acknowledging its effectiveness. @SY_VRU @YHROCU

First session this morning with Year 7 at Clifton Community School, #Rotherham. I spoke to the students about all that's associated with county lines exploitation and the research I undertake to produce my stories about the topic. Today, I focused on "Trapped in County Lines."