The mother of a young man who fell victim to knife crime in Guildford is welcoming the visit of the Knife Angel – ‘The National Monument Against Violence & Aggression’ to the County of Surrey on the 1st of March.

Julie Sommerville, whose son Daniel died after an altercation which led to his death in 2015, has been instrumental in bringing the Knife Angel to Surrey where it will stand outside Guildford Cathedral throughout March with a series of events planned to raise awareness of the effects of knife crime and domestic violence.

The 27ft (8.2m) tall contemporary sculpture, made up of 100,000 knives, confiscated by Police forces across the UK, was created by the artist Alfie Bradley and the British Ironworks Centre based in Oswestry, Shropshire.

Since 2018, it has been touring the country to highlight knife crime in the United Kingdom and educate young people on the harmful effect violent behaviour can have on their communities. Surrey is considered to be one of the safest places to live in the UK however crime of this type does not respect county boundaries and its thought-provoking message will be a powerful way to remind people that such crimes affect not just the families of victims but also the wider community.

“I am delighted that the UK National Youth Anti-Violence Tour will be coming to Surrey and the centrepiece, the Knife Angel, will be on display at Guildford Cathedral.”

The Very Reverend Dianna Gwilliams

Surrey Police, Detective Superintendent Becky Molyneux said: “We are pleased to be supporting Guildford Cathedral as they host the Knife Angel this March. We’re committed to tackling serious violence and aggression in our communities and this project will help further important conversations, discussing why people become involved in violent crimes. We would encourage the public to continue to drop off their dangerous or unwanted knives and blades at our police front counters across Surrey.”

As well as Surrey Police, the project is being supported by the High Sheriff of Surrey, the Lord Lieutenant of Surrey, Guildford Borough Council, charities including ‘the Matrix Trust’ and ‘Your Sanctuary’ and pupils from Christ’s College, Guildford who have produced an introductory video.

The Dean of Guildford, The Very Reverend Dianna Gwilliams explains, “I am delighted that the UK National Youth Anti-Violence Tour will be coming to Surrey and the centrepiece, the Knife Angel, will be on display at Guildford Cathedral. We are working with many partners, guided by young people of our community, to provide opportunities to learn more about the effects of aggression and violence among all sections of the community and to address some of the key concerns of the young people in our County, for example Domestic Violence, County Lines, bullying and violence against girls and women. The month of March provides an opportunity to work together to make the communities of Surrey even safer.”

Guildford resident – Julie, mum to three other children said; “Daniel was just 24 when he was taken from us in such a terrible way. It devastated our family and my three other children who still struggle to accept what happened to their brother. He was a caring, loving son, would help anyone, and like all young people his age, had dreams and aspirations. The day he died, Dan was about to move into his own home – one minute we were helping his move his stuff in, the next we were clearing it out.”

Daniel was just 24 when he was taken from us in such a terrible way. It devastated our family and my three other children who still struggle to accept what happened to their brother.

“The incident was an altercation in Guildford, during which if a knife had not been available to be used in the heat of the moment would not have resulted in Daniel’s death. The message I am trying to get across is to not carry weapons – so if situations arise the opportunity is not likely to be fatal leading to families being destroyed – on both sides.”

“The ripple effect of what happened to Dan was obviously big. I’ve met a lot of lovely people as I am with quite a lot of groups mainly on social media, these people have all set up groups because of what happened to their family members and obviously I can relate to them. They all want the same thing, to get awareness out there – you see these sorts of things on the news and a lot of people don’t always take any notice, it is not until something tragic happens to you that you realise the consequences involved. We once took part in a scene in Eastenders – after a storyline involving a knife crime the producers wanted real families to take part in the funeral scene, we even held photos of our loved ones as we were filmed.”

“I went up to see the Knife Angel at the British Ironwork Centre where it was made by Alfie and we, like other families, were invited to include Dan’s name on one of the knives used in the sculpture. At the time they were doing a petition to get the Angel somewhere in London when finished but that did not happen, so it was then decided to tour it around the country. I saw other towns hosting and I wanted it to come to my town, it’s about awareness and education, it’s not just a statue it’s a very visual and powerful statement.”

Julie will bravely be speaking at the launch of the Knife Angel visit at the Cathedral on March 1st and is hoping that parents will be more vigilant and protect their children by talking to them about how removing the opportunity could save their lives. She also hopes that the children themselves will learn from the events put on throughout March and not only think twice about arming themselves when going out but also about not letting violence or aggression generally play a part in their lives.

“I do this because if sharing my story makes someone think twice about carrying a knife with them and if that potentially saves a life then It is worth telling people – I don’t want anyone ever to have to go through what I went through, so in Daniel’s name I want to raise awareness – Dan has not got a voice anymore, so I am his voice”

“I do this because if sharing my story makes someone think twice about carrying a knife with them and if that potentially saves a life then It is worth telling people…”

Julie Sommerville

Thanks to the support so far from local businesses, individuals and organisations, the Knife Angel will take its place in front of the iconic cathedral and can be visited at any time during March.

There will be talks and events centred around the monument, and Charities are being invited to highlight their work alongside it – follow the @kniveangelguildford social media pages to find out how, also to share your photos and comments during March. There is still time to sponsor the visit with a range of benefits included or donate money to help pay for security (the biggest cost), transport and coach trips for schools to attend the various workshops.

For more information and how you can help or donate please contact Nicola Pratt, Head of Development at Guildford Cathedral on 01483 547 884 or visit headofdevelopment@guildford-cathedral.org