An East London charity has won a prestigious award for its campaign challenging the dangerous myth that there is a 'safe place' to stab someone. StreetDoctors, based in East London, has helped over 20,000 young people with essential skills and emergency first-aid if they ever encounter somebody seriously injured.
Award-Winning Campaign
The charity's film, 'The Fatal Question', created with Saatchi & Saatchi, won Film of the Year at the National Charity Awards. The campaign tackles one of the most dangerous myths facing young people today: the belief that there is such a thing as a 'safe' place to stab someone.
Martin Tilbury MBE, who joined StreetDoctors three years ago, spoke from Uganda about the campaign. His background includes helping young people in the UK and Africa with the Red Cross. He said: 'In a lot of our training, we spoke to young people about whether there is a safe place to stab someone. We found from working with 20,000 young people a year, that 65 per cent believe they are affected by street violence at some level.'
Changing Perceptions
Tilbury added: 'We also found with young people that this whole perception about the number of them carrying knives. We found that they always felt unsafe and uncomfortable in public settings, so they would carry a knife for protection. They think it might be acceptable to carry a knife, and for us, it's about how we can change that normalisation.'
The film centres on a stark and unsettling question often asked by young people: 'Where is a safe place to stab?' It dismantles this myth through real-life stories and devastating consequences. Using an interactive installation and testimonies from victims' families, the campaign reveals how a single stab wound can have fatal outcomes, challenging deeply held misconceptions.
Statistics and Impact
According to the Office for National Statistics, in 2025, there were 49,151 police-recorded offences involving a knife or sharp instrument in England and Wales. In London, there were 16,344 in 2024/25. StreetDoctors is a national charity that educates young people about the realities of street violence, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to make safer choices and support others in their communities.
Training and Empowerment
Through a network of volunteer healthcare professionals, the charity delivers training to thousands of young people each year, focusing on both the physical and psychological consequences of violence. They encourage young people to become part of the solution and train them in emergency first aid so they can save the life of someone who has been stabbed and become leaders within their communities.
The film went on to win Grand Prix - Film of the Year at the Smiley Charity Film Awards. The Awards are recognised by both the British Film Institute and IMDb, and have become a global platform for purpose-driven storytelling.
Personal Stories
Tilbury said: 'I didn't expect to win the main award. It felt like real recognition that a powerful subject, where we were brave enough to step up and tackle. It was important that we raised the issue, and the parents involved in the filming were so grateful that we tackled it.'
He continued: 'We often blame young people for making wrong decisions, but if they don't have the right information or opportunities, how on earth are we going to blame them for the wrong decision? That's why the film is important because it shows there is no safe space. Seeing the human stories brings it across in a trauma-informed way.'
'We hope that if people realise there is no safe place to stab, then if you decide you're going to carry a knife or stab somebody, then you're almost basically prepared to kill somebody — that's the reality.'
After conversations with young people, the charity helps them understand the dangers and teaches them first aid so that if they are ever in a situation, they won't feel helpless. Tilbury added: 'When you speak to parents who have lost a child, they are grateful that we started tackling this issue. It's obviously a hard position for them because you want to say thank you to them for being part of the project, but the reason they are part of it is that one of their children was a victim.'
For more information, you can watch the film on the Smiley Movements website.
