With over 11,000 knife-related offences (an average of ten per day), recorded in the West Midlands since 2020, Solihull-based Prologis UK, a leading owner, investor and developer of logistics property through its partnership with LoveBrum, has joined with award-winning organisation Birmingham Says No (BSN), in the fight against knife crime.
BSN has teamed up with Handsworth Cricket Club to create a safe space for people living around the local area to access the services provided by BSN of a Community Hub and Foodbank. With the help of LoveBrum and its longstanding patron, Prologis UK, the clubhouse has undergone a renovation to enhance and expand the facilities and create a welcoming environment that fosters a sense of community and inclusivity. It will also provide the space for BSN to host its anti-knife crime workshops.
The renovation, overseen by Whiting Landscape, brought together roughly 70 individuals carrying out an internal and exterior redecoration of the clubhouse, social and amenity areas.
The BSN Community Hub and Foodbank will help tackle poverty and knife crime within the local area. Providing a warm, safe space where anyone is welcome to come for a drink and snack or tea and toast, and a place to foster relationships and bring the community closer together, is an approach that has long been associated with the reduction of youth crime in communities.
Rachel Warrren, Managing Director of Birmingham Says No, said: “It’s vital to remove as many of the social pressures, such as poverty, lack of basic necessities and safe spaces, when tackling youth violent crimes. We’re lucky in Birmingham to have such a thriving community that looks out for their own and we’re extremely grateful for the assistance of businesses such as LoveBrum, Prologis UK and Whiting Landscape, who help to make these projects a reality.”
BSN was formed by Rachel Warren and joined by Benefits Street star Dee Kelly. Aside from lobbying action, the organisation also helps to take young people on day trips, provide counselling and run bleed-control training so people know what to do when somebody has been attacked with a knife.
Paul Weston, Regional Head at Prologis UK, said: “Communities are the heartbeat of the country and helping to protect them is something that we’re passionate about, worldwide. Our global IMPACT Day, which sees Prologis teams across the world dedicate the day to giving back, is just one of the ways we make sure we are offering support to our local communities. We’re proud to be partnering with such an important and impactful charity for 2024 to bring Handsworth together and help with the reduction of youth crime.”
Prologis UK’s participation in the renovation is part of the business’ global IMPACT Day charitable endeavours, where Prologis teams work to support local charities and give back to their local communities. Previous years have seen the team create community parks in places such as Northamptonshire, and restore important sites such as the Tame Valley Wetlands, Warwickshire.
LoveBrum’s Corporate Champions Programme helps corporate businesses engage with their communities through charitable work, such as the cricket club renovation, and at the same time enhance the social purpose of it charities and make a better Birmingham.
