Dami's dad teams up with the South London Press

Monday, 16 March 2009

Richard Taylor has been campaigning against knife crime since his son Damilola was killed in 2000

By Jenny Clover

Damilola Taylor’s father has joined forces with the South London Press to launch a unique campaign with schoolchildren across South London.

In one of his first moves since being appointed Government envoy for youth violence and knife crime, Richard Taylor has created a competition to get kids involved in the future of the Damilola Taylor Trust.

Mr Taylor and South London Press editor Hannah Walker have written to secondary schools across South London asking pupils to design a new logo for the trust.

The winner will get a signed Manchester United shirt, a signed photo of Rio Ferdinand – a patron of the trust – a certificate signed by Mr Taylor and a day in a digital studio to watch their logo come alive.

The prize will be presented at a special school assembly by Richard Taylor and actor Ashley Walters, another trust patron.

Mr Taylor said: “It is with great pride that the Damilola Taylor Trust is joining forces with the South London Press to launch this competition to find ourselves a new logo.

“My family suffered a great loss on the streets of South London on November 27, 2000.

“But since becoming an adopted South Londoner myself, I have been proud to meet so many wonderful young people who wholeheartedly support our campaign and want to see an end to the senseless violence just like we do.”

Damilola died after being stabbed in a stairwell on the North Peckham Estate when he was just 10-years-old.

Students have been asked to draw up a logo that represents Damilola’s dream to make the world a better place and the fight to make the streets of London safe.

The logo should not include Damilola’s image or negative objects such as knifes, but it could feature objects of peace such as a dove, cross, the hand of friendship and the tree of life.

The new design will be launched at the Spirit of London Awards in November.

Mr Taylor added: “I now hope many young people will enter this competition or support their friends that do.

“We want them all to embrace the mood for change that is starting to sweep the nation, not just the streets of South London.

“I will be visiting many schools in South London in the near future and look forward greatly to having our young people join the debate and add their views to the manifesto for change.

“I will be delivering to the Government at the end of my 12-month tenure as the official envoy.”

jenny.clover@slp.co.uk

Copyright Tindle Newspapers Ltd Tuesday, 09 February 2010