About us

We are a group of University students seeking funding for a community led initiative aimed at tackling knife crime, specifically targeting young males. We aim to provide safe third spaces away from violence influenced streets, offering young boys the opportunity to engage with sporting sessions, employability building programmes and key social events with local sporting teams and personalities.

Our story

Our strategy is built of three core pillars: primary research, direct engagement with young people and community integration. We recognise that young people are consistently being negatively influenced social media, local gangs and their peers at school to adapt to a violent lifestyle.

Our aim is to combine academic research with the lived experience of Sheffields youth to engage with the most vulnerable members of this group where their attention actually lies. We are using primary data collected by our team to decide which social media platforms young people are engaging with the most.

The aim is to provide young people with alternative opportunities, our 'Forging Futures' sessions will do this. A mix of sporting and employability sessions aimed at developing essential socialising and employment skills.

Meet our team

Toby

Dom

Melissa

Megan

Rhianna

Onyeka

Our Mission Statement

“Forged Futures is a community-led initiative dedicated to preventing youth knife crime in Sheffield. We work to replace punitive enforcement with early intervention, safe ‘third’ spaces and positive alternatives. Aiming to address the root causes that make carrying a knife feel necessary”.