Things to do - Knife-awareness projects

You should start to run fast. Get out of that situation quickly, because something isn't right." This is one of the messages Gary Payne regularly tells children and young people who attend his Life Skills programme.

Before founding the programme, Payne was a defensive tactics instructor working with the police and the army.

He believes young people need to be educated early on to stay safe. "Some knife-awareness programmes start when young people are already aged between 12 and 15. We chose to aim our programmes at children as young as five and up to the late teens. We want to get in there before children are exposed to knives," he explains.

The Life Skills programme isn't just about knives as it covers healthcare, sports and communication skills. Teachers and community groups can opt in to include the knife-awareness session. In the sessions children and young people are taught about where people usually conceal weapons and the body language someone adopts before using one. They are then taught to quickly leave that situation and take part in role plays to affirm the message.

Graphic images of knife crime are consciously not used. This is partly due to the young age of some of the children on the programme but also because Payne believes they don't work. They initially used graphic images with young offenders but soon stopped. "Some were so disaffected it had no impact," he adds. "We tried using role plays and getting them to empathise with different situations and that proved more successful."

But Kevin Everard, director of the Be Safe knife prevention programme, believes that graphic images can be a useful way of getting the message across. "Sometimes you need a visual aid to show the damage a knife can do to the body. But more important are the stories and facts behind the workshop, not just the images," he says.

Be Safe concentrates solely on knife prevention and runs two main types of workshops. Its one-hour sessions take place in schools and community groups and focus on getting basic facts across, while its longer workshops last several sessions with young people.

Everard says: "The longer you work with young people, the more chance you get to turn them round, particularly if they are from excluded groups."

The project gets young people involved in role plays, enacting situations where a knife could be used, the outcome and the reality of prison life. It deliberately doesn't target those just considered "high risk", as any young person could feel vulnerable and subsequently acquire a weapon.

Payne and Everard both say they've had many young people handing in knives during their sessions, which proves the case for such schemes. And Everard believes attitudes can be changed. He says: "The positive thing is that most young people don't have it in them to attack someone, so we just show them they shouldn't be carrying a knife in the first place."

FIND OUT MORE

- Be Safe runs workshops nationwide to try to prevent knife crime. If you are interested in becoming a trainer for their workshops, the government is funding free training courses. www.besafetraining.com

- Life Skills has a knife-awareness session and is recruiting young people to mentor their peers. For more information, visit UK Personal Safety Training at www.ukpst.co.uk

PLACES TO GO

The Cairngorms - The Cairngorms is a mountain range in the eastern Highlands of Scotland, located within the Cairngorms National Park, which is home to 17,000 people.

As you might expect of a national park, the Cairngorms is an ideal place for sports. If your group fancies doing something active, there are outdoor activities for all levels of experience. Try skiing, go mountain biking through the park's woodland trails or view wildlife from a canoe on the River Spey.

For something a bit different you can visit Britain's only herd of reindeer, which are found ranging free in the mountains. Hill visits, paddock visits and treks are all available from the Cairngorm Reindeer Centre.

You could also take a trip to the Highland Folk Museum. This open-air museum shows how earlier Highland people lived, dressed and built their homes in the area. Or visit the Imagination Workshop, which boasts a studio where young people can put their creative skills to work making clocks, birdhouses and T-shirts.

HOW TO GET THERE

By air: Inverness is the central airport for the Highlands and services fly there from across the UK, including Belfast, Birmingham, Manchester and London.

By train: Trains from London's Kings Cross stop off at Kingussie or Aviemore.

By coach: Scottish Citylink operates a regular service from Glasgow.

WHERE TO STAY

Aviemore Youth Hostel provides self-catering accommodation with prices from £11.50 a night for juniors and £15.00 a night for seniors. 01479 810 345, www.syha.org.uk

Cairngorm Lodge Youth Hostel is an old Scottish shooting lodge, offering mountain views. Prices start at £10 for juniors and £15 for seniors. 01479 861 238, www.syha.org.uk

This article was written by Dominique Brady, a young freelance journalist working in London