A Congleton funeral home colleague is supporting a community initiative, campaigning to help keep the streets safe.

Recognising the importance of offering vulnerable people safe indoor spaces with knife crime on the rise, Louise Rees, Funeral Arranger at Co-op Funeralcare's Congleton branch, volunteered her time in support of the Knife Angel campaign.

Louise and the team offered free items to the public for personal safety, including armbands that can be seen in the dark for children. She contacted the local Co-op food store, on Bradfield Road, to ask for their support in declaring the store a safe space and reached out to pupils from the Hungerford Primary Academy to support the closing ceremony by creating artwork.

 As part of the campaign, a sculpture made from over 100,000 seized blades was created to symbolise the negative effects of violent behaviour and the need for a social change. The Angel sculpture was placed in Crewe's memorial square for a month, sparking important conversations and debate around knife crime, whilst also acting as a memorial in honour of those whose lives have been lost through violent actions. 

Pledging its support to the campaign, Co-op Crewe has declared all its stores will be safe spaces for everyone, enabling vulnerable people to stay inside and contact the appropriate help should concerns of safety arise.

Commenting on the initiative, Louise said: "I was delighted to be able to get involved and show my support for the Knife Angel campaign.

"In our line of work at Co-op Funeralcare, we support bereaved families during a difficult time every day and so we understand just how devastating losing a loved one can be. This is why getting involved in an important initiative such as an anti-knife crime project was something I was very passionate about.

"Here at Co-op Funeralcare, we're passionate about giving back to the community and supporting in any way we can. I've been lucky to be able to get involved with lots of community projects during my time at Co-op Funeralcare over the past four years, including the recent Knife Angel campaign – and I'm excited to get involved in future projects."

To find out more about Co-op Funeralcare's Congleton Funeralcare, visit Co-op Funeralcare, Congleton Funeralcare's homepage