Thanks @yorkshirepost yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/chr…

That’s it! I’ve sent the shortlisted poems and lyrics to all 53 judges for the national poetry and lyric competition. Young people were invited to write on the topic of county lines exploitation and associated crime. We will announce the overall winners on 11th August. @UNESCO #InternationalYouthDay Listen Up2! - will showcase the top 40 poems (out in March 2027). The first book has helped to raise £6,500 to date for Childline. 🥳

Laughter is the best medicine ever! I had a wonderful evening meeting the winning authors in the People's Book Prize, with @mollyarbuthnott , Will Grimsey, and Helmut Schuster. The most welcoming and friendly group of people you could wish to meet. We had a lovely dinner and drinks in the Athenaeum Club, London. I accepted my award on behalf of all the young people who had their work published in the Listen Up! anthology. The book has already helped to raise over £5,000 for @NSPCC Childline. Here's my link if you would like to donate to help give children and young people a lifeline. donate.justgiving.com/page/c…

Thank you.The more we can all do to help educate, the better. If you have any students who would like to submit poetry or lyrics into the national initiative, here’s the info: (open until 30th July). 1st prize: £500, 2nd prize; £250; 3rd prize £150. And an opportunity to have their work published in Listen Up2! missingstory.co.uk/competiti… Email entries: [email protected]

Chatting to delegates @BAWPUK about the necessity of earlier intervention education into schools and communities through the power of storytelling. I’m a huge believer in giving children and young people a voice. This evening, I’ve been invited to an event in London to celebrate winning a national book award for my project, Listen Up! I will be accepting this on behalf of all the young people who contributed to this brilliant poetry and lyric anthology that has to date raised over £5k for @NSPCC Childline. Here’s the link: justgiving.com/team/listenup…

‼️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.

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.

The sessions are already having a lasting impact. Here’s an entry i received this afternoon. I’m back in the school tomorrow with Y9 & 10. The sessions I conduct on county lines, related crime, and knife crime are not just a fleeting experience. They offer valuable insights and awareness through the art of storytelling.