Royal Navy sailors and Marines deliver martial arts sessions to combat knife crime in Leeds
Volunteers from the Royal Navy and Royal Marines have delivered a fitness and martial arts session to young people in Leeds in an attempt to stop knife crime.
Leeds is the latest city in the north of England to host the initiative, which works with gyms across the region to show young people how to channel aggression into martial arts and steer them away from gangs and crime.
The military volunteers are aiming to create a network of mentors and role models across the UK to help combat knife crime.
Having already delivered sessions in locations such as Manchester and Liverpool, the personnel started the initiative in 2023 and already they have established a national framework of gyms to deliver the programme.
WO2 Dennis Harrison, Royal Navy, said the event in Leeds was the "best attended to date, generating a fantastic atmosphere from all ages".
"The fight community have embraced the project with open arms, fully supporting the knife crime initiative," he said.
"The values taught in the gyms like courage, self-discipline and respect for others are very much in line with our own ethos."
Personnel also work with anti-knife crime groups and police networks and look to promote the idea that fitness and mental health work hand in hand and help develop a healthier community.
In the first year, the volunteers have also already delivered sponsorship for female fighters and aligned with several anti-knife crime groups.
One of these groups, 'Weapons Down, Gloves Up', will also be involved in open days at HMS Eaglet.
They also have teams working with violence reduction units across the north of the country, attending events with various youth groups, and have plans to host an event in Dorset.
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