South Devon College Hosts Powerful Knife Crime Prevention Talk from Charlie’s Promise
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16 Jun 2026 ]
South Devon College recently welcomed Martin Cosser, founder of knife crime prevention charity Charlie’s Promise, to speak to students about the devastating real-world impact of knife crime and what awareness can do to help prevent it.
Martin’s talk centred on the story of his son Charlie, a fun-loving 17-year-old with dreams of becoming the Head Groundsman at Chelsea FC, who was stabbed multiple times at a house party in West Sussex on 22nd July 2023. After three days fighting for his life at the Royal Sussex County Hospital, Charlie passed away surrounded by his family on 25th July 2023. He was just days away from his first lads’ holiday and had recently passed his driving test. Charlie’s bright future was cut tragically short.
Since losing his son, Martin has spoken to more than 108,000 young people across the country in less than two years, driven by a single purpose: to prevent another family from going through what his has endured.
Speaking about his visit to South Devon College, Martin said: “The reception I got was, as I always receive, really positive. The sessions were brilliant and the feedback’s been incredible. My talk is powerful. It’s not to scare young people, it is to shock them, because it needs to. It wakes people up to what can happen in life.”
Martin was keen to stress that his message is one of prevention, not fear: “I make it really clear that 99% of people don’t carry knives and the chance of being murdered is a million to one. But the chance of young people knowing someone that carries a knife, or being at an event where there’s a knife carrier, those odds go up dramatically. My talks are about knowing what to do if they’re ever in that situation.”
Students at South Devon College attend a knife crime awareness session led by Martin Cosser
When asked about the importance of bringing his talk to the South West, Martin reflected on a conversation that struck him during his visit: “I spoke to a young person and, just reading between the lines, they almost feel that they’re isolated from it all being from the South West. And I think that’s a really important point. Knife crime is still prevalent here. It’s prevalent everywhere. I’ve spoken to knife carriers as young as seven years old.”
Martin also addresses one of the most dangerous myths surrounding knife crime head on in his talks: the idea that carrying a knife offers protection. “A lot of young people tell me they carry knives for protection. I’ve spoken to some of our country’s most hardened criminals and they often say the same thing. But the reality is that someone carrying a knife is 65% more likely to be stabbed or to stab someone. It doesn’t protect them, it endangers them. Most people who lose their lives to knife crime are in fact knife carriers, more often than not with their own weapons. That message is really important.”
A central part of Martin’s message is that Charlie’s death could have been prevented. On the night Charlie was stabbed, several people were aware that someone at the party was carrying a knife, yet no one acted. “If one of them had called the police or told an adult, my little boy would still be alive today,” Martin said. “That’s why I signpost Fearless, which is part of Crimestoppers. They enable young people to report knife carriers 100% anonymously, online at fearless.org or by calling 0800 555 111. Things could have been very different for Charlie if somebody had acted.”
At the end of every talk, Martin asks his audience to make two promises to Charlie: never to pick up a knife for the wrong reason, and to report anyone who does.
Martin Cosser speaks to South Devon College students about knife crime and the work of Charlie’s Promise
Staff at South Devon College were deeply moved by the session. Charlotte Paulden, Enrichment Lead, added: “It was great having Martin with us from Charlie’s Promise. His talk really highlighted the devastating impact of knife crime and the consequences it has on families and communities. I think we all came away feeling moved and a little taken aback by the reality of what he and his family have experienced.”
Niall Thompson, Head of Personal Development and Student Wellbeing at South Devon College, said: “We are truly grateful to Charlie’s Promise for such a powerful and thought-provoking session. Martin’s courage in sharing his story brought a deeply human perspective to the issue and left a lasting impression on everyone present. Martin, I want to personally thank you for your incredible bravery and your willingness to turn such personal loss into a powerful message that may help prevent others from going through the same tragedy. We would highly recommend Charlie’s Promise to any school or organisation committed to educating young people and preventing knife crime.”
A student who attended the talk had reflected on the visit from Martin: “I thought it was sad but it was good to hear about the story and what happens with knife crime.”
Martin believes the work is already making a difference: “I’m convinced Charlie has saved lives through these talks, just based on the amount of people we’ve spoken to. We will continue to do that work in different ways, all focusing on prevention and early intervention.”
To report knife crime anonymously, visit fearless.org or call 0800 555 111.
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