06 March 2024
THE artistic talents of a client at Turning Lives Around’s Our Way Leeds (OWL) emergency accommodation have led to her being a runner-up in a competition to design a logo for an initiative focusing on serious youth violence.
Project Shield was launched by West Yorkshire Police in February to coincide with Leeds hosting the Knife Angel, a sculpture made up of 100,000 seized blades, created by the British Ironworks Centre to highlight the negative impact of violent behaviour.
As part of the launch, they held a competition to design a logo to represent the aims of Project Shield which are to make Leeds a safer place for young people and to reduce serious youth violence across the city.
The team at OWL emergency accommodation shared with their 16-25-year-old clients information about Project Shield, the Knife Angel and concerning statistics around the rise in knife crime particularly amongst young people.
Knowing of her interest in art, Team Leader Kerri Walker told Molly about the competition that was open to 10-17-year-olds and asked if she’d like to take part. Molly followed the spec outlined in the competition brief and her design (pictured here) was chosen as one of the runners-up.
Kerri said: “Molly is interested in art and is talented. She is currently waiting to start college and has done some other painting while she’s been with us. Doing so well in the competition has boosted her confidence and her spirits. We are all very proud of her.”
Molly and her support worker Jordan James attended the closing ceremony related to the Knife Angel’s stay in Leeds at the Royal Armouries where she received a certificate, £10 shopping voucher and two Go Ape vouchers for her entry.