A sculpture marking the devastating impact of knife crime but depicting a poignant message of hope for the future will be installed later this year in Becket’s Park.
The striking figure will be handcrafted out of steel at Northampton College, following a competition which saw students challenged to come up with imaginative concepts for the sculpture.
Amy Allebone, a Level 2 Art & Design student, was named the winner for her ‘Holding Onto Hope’ concept – which depicts a lone figure with a hole cut in place of her heart, allowing light to shine through and sending a positive message for the future.
Her design will be bought to life by staff from the College’s Fabrication and Welding department and then installed in Becket’s Park later this year.
Amy said: “It feels kind of surreal to be honest. I had the original idea a while back and had a few goes at it, before getting it to a position where I was happy with it. I want to raise awareness of such an important topic, that brings tragedy to everyday lives but also show a message that things can get better.
“The sculpture is sheltering and protecting hope, symbolised by the light that shines through the hole in its chest, with the figure’s arms covering it. The hole represents the loss and sadness people feel following knife crime, while the light shining through it signifies hope and healing through adversity.
“The arms and hands are intended to protect and hold onto the light and, by extension, hope that things will improve and that this crime will end. The head is slightly bowed but remains held high, to express both strength and hope.
“I’m looking forward to seeing it installed and it’s going to give me so much confidence for the rest of my course and then into my career.”
Amy, along with fellow students Jack Ras, Max Zabarovskiy, Jude Wilkes and Vlad Sinookyi, pitched their design concepts to a panel made up of Northamptonshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Danielle Stone, Councillor Charlie Hastie, Chief Inspector Paul Cash and Cheri Curran – the mother of Louis-Ryan Menezes, a 17-year-old who was stabbed to death in Northampton in May 2018.
Cheri said: “The students did an incredible job and their messages were so powerful and from the heart. I think I cried at every one, but they all embraced a message of positivity too which is so important. I’m really looking forward to seeing Amy’s design brought to life.”
The Sculpture of Hope competition formed part of Northampton College’s wider ‘Humankind’ initiative – a cross-college, student-led project that develops the soft skills employers value and communities need. It brings students of all levels together to work on real local issues fostering emotional intelligence, teamwork and a sense of social purpose.
Jason Lancaster, principal of Northampton College, said: “We regularly say that our students are treated as individuals, not just a grade – and this project really brings that mindset to life, giving them the opportunity to get creative and bring their vision around a hugely topical and important subject to the fore.
“They have produced exceptional work and Amy’s winning design sends a powerful message that out of the incredible darkness of losing a loved one to knife crime, comes light – giving victims and their families hope for a brighter future.”
The Sculpture of Hope project builds on the success of the No One Wins campaign, which highlighted the collective grief experienced by individuals, families and communities affected by knife crime. Developed alongside young people, the project continues that conversation by providing a creative platform for young voices to reflect on the impact of serious violence and inspire positive change through public art.
The sculpture has been delivered in collaboration with the Northamptonshire Serious Violence Prevention Partnership and funded by the Office of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner. The project reflects a shared commitment to prevention, early intervention and community engagement across Northamptonshire.
Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, Danielle Stone, said: "It was inspiring to see how thoughtfully the students responded to the brief, producing powerful designs that captured the collective grief surrounding knife crime. The creativity and sensitivity shown made the judging process incredibly difficult.
“Thank you to every student for your hard work, I look forward to seeing the winning design brought to life."
The Northamptonshire Serious Violence Prevention Partnership was established in 2023 to tackle serious violence through coordinated partnership working. The partnership includes Northamptonshire Police, Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service, Youth Offending and Probation Services, Northamptonshire Integrated Care Board, North Northamptonshire Council, West Northamptonshire Council and the Office of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner.
