Sharper Choices brings Harmony Youth Project and The Hub at Westhoughton together to help prevent knife crime and support safer choices across Bolton.

Harmony brings experience working with young people through schools and youth settings. The Hub brings trusted local connections with families and residents, alongside creative facilities including a radio station, recording studios and outdoor space. Together, the partners can connect youth work with family and community support.

Working together

The organisations have already collaborated on music recording and video workshops. Harmony has also piloted knife crime workshops at Mount St Joseph’s and Bolton College. Feedback from young people, along with Bolton College’s interest in a student-led drama project, helped shape the next steps.

The Sharper Choices plan includes workshops, Youth Anti-Knife Ambassadors, family forums and youth-led creative projects such as podcasts and radio. These activities are intended to give young people useful information and a voice in the conversation, while helping families talk about knife crime and find support.

By working across East and West Bolton, the partners aim to bring schools, young people, families and local communities together to help prevent violence.