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In the last few years London has witnessed an alarming rise in knife crime with 64 deaths in the first 8 陆 months of 2018. Four years ago, 20-year-old youth worker Dwayne Simpson was murdered whilst trying to protect a friend. Last year his mum Lorraine told Songs of Praise 鈥淚 was helpless鈥� but God is holding us all together as a family and a community鈥�.

Dwayne had started a boxing club as a safe place to bring together rival gang members. Lorraine has continued it in his memory and it鈥檚 since been given the Queen鈥檚 Award for Voluntary Service as well as a commendation from the Police and recognition from the Prime Minister.

Fast forward 18 months and Lorraine again speaks to Songs of Praise. Presenter Sean Fletcher visits the boxing club and even has a go in the ring himself. Lorraine explains 鈥渨e teach discipline, we teach how to focus. The energy is just so charged with unity.鈥� She says life in South London is difficult for many children. 鈥淯nless they鈥檙e supported, they start making bad choices. That has got to the extent of young people carrying knives鈥�. They call it post code war. Reeling off a list of South London communities she says 鈥渋f you鈥檙e from Angell Town, you won鈥檛 go to Tulse Hill. If you鈥檙e from Tulse Hill you won鈥檛 go to Stockwell. These areas are warring against each other, to the degree that young people wear bullet proof vests as part of their attire.鈥�

But Lorraine is seeing young people from these different postcodes coming to Dwaynamics to learn to box. Lorraine says 鈥渁nd that鈥檚 what brings me great joy. Because when Dwayne died, he would go to the different gangs. He tried to bring peace. Whenever I come in here and I see the children working together in peace and harmony, it brings such joy to me.

Visitors to the boxing club are full of praise for Lorraine鈥檚 passion and commitment in the face of tragedy. One local police officer, with whom Dwaynamics has a healthy working relationship, says 鈥渟he鈥檚 brought the community together, but not only that she鈥檚 brought the police and the community together鈥� to look after and help young people. Boxing is just a way of getting people through the door but there鈥檚 many other things going on in the background.鈥�

Young people themselves recognise how the club has changed their lives. One says 鈥淪he gave us all a second chance. Cause if we do something bad, she took us in, taught us like how to do things and make us go the right path.鈥�. Another comments 鈥渟o people from different areas that would normally have problems, have come here and now don鈥檛 have a problem. Or grow up knowing each other and not have a problem because they鈥檙e doing boxing together.鈥�

Another club member says, 鈥淗ere you have the situation where a life was lost. And Lorraine could have stopped there. But she鈥檚 in fact saved many lives by continuing this project and opening it up for the community.鈥�
One of Dwayne鈥檚 friends who has seen the club grow from its early days, says 鈥淗e wasn鈥檛 my son but he was my friend. And to see what [Lorraine] has done is an example to show that, even though a bad thing has happened, you can make brilliant things out of it.

Lorraine reflects 鈥淸Losing Dwayne} has been the greatest challenge in my life. And it鈥檚 the word of God, it鈥檚 my relationship with God that has helped me. If I didn鈥檛 have that knowledge, and the power of the Holy Spirit working in me, I wouldn鈥檛 be here. Jesus is the centre of it all.鈥�

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