VRU Commitment pledge
The VRU Community Pledge book at the Kent Police Open Days 2023
‘The feedback we have received from students who have visited the exhibition has been excellent. We wanted to continue to promote knife harm awareness within schools following the trips and we came up with the idea for a Commitment Pledge."
VRU Director, Chief Inspector Lara Connor
"We are extremely proud to be the first school in Kent to sign up to the Pledge, all of our students are committed to keeping both themselves and their peers safe. After our trip to Ben Kinsella, one student told me: ‘‘It made me feel very sad but the whole day opened my eyes to the dangers of knife crime and made me think about my own safety when I am out by myself and with friends”.
"So, this pledge is an important part of our school curriculum to help our pupils make informed choices, aspiring to be the best versions of themselves, taking and accepting social responsibility and contributing positively to their communities."
Headteacher, Fiona May
"Pledges work. Research shows that people who publicly pledge to do something are more likely to follow through than those who don’t".
"By committing to this pledge, young people in Kent will create a social pressure within their peer groups to make knife carrying unacceptable.
‘Young people have a critical role to play in helping us to stop knife crime, and this pledge helps to amplify their voice to influence others to stay knife free".
Patrick Green, CEO of The Ben Kinsella Trust