Reading sculpture to honour victims of knife crime unveiled

The ‘Armoured Heart’ has now been installed at The Oracle riverside to stand as a symbol of peace and hope, and has in part been created from blades handed in to knife amnesty bins across Reading and the rest of the Thames Valley.

The unveiling ceremony began with speeches from councillor Karen Rowland, Moses Heidenbleuth, the founder of Berkshire football charity Give Back FC and artist Stuart Melrose.

The heart has been produced through a collaborative effort involving Reading Borough Council, the family of murder victim Olly Stephens, the Starting Point mentoring service and other business and community partners such as Give Back FC.

Cllr Rowland (Labour, Abbey), lead member for community safety at the council, said: “The unveiling of this incredible, evocative sculpture has created a physical symbol of peace and hope that everyone can take inspiration from.

“The sculpture celebrates the opportunity of the positive choices that our young people can make to grow up safe in Reading’s communities.

Young people from the Starting Point charity unveil the Armoured Heart sculpture, a symbol of peace and hope, in Reading. (Image: Reading Borough Council)

“The production of this sculpture is proudly ‘Made in Reading’, the culmination of our local young people alongside Reading’s own Stuart Melrose, to create a thought-provoking manifestation of our message. The upcoming educational programme to follow will remind us all that within Reading we have the power to work together to move away from knife crime and violence.

“My thanks go to The Oracle shopping centre for the prime location and to Great Western Railway and British Airways, the Thames Valley Violence Reduction Unit and other community organisations for the funding and volunteering efforts that have made this possible.”

The Armoured Heart at The Oracle riverside in Reading. Credit: James Aldridge, Local Democracy Reporting Service

In his speech, Mr Heidenbleuth spoke of his arrival in Reading in 2008, and how he confronted a “devil and angel scenario” which ultimately led him to set up Give Back FC during the pandemic.

He mentioned the murder of Robert Spence, who was stabbed to death in St Mary’s Butts in May of that year, and Jaun Claude McKenley who was stabbed to death outside Broad Street Mall in April 2009.

READ MORE: Reading to get sculpture to remember the victims of knife crime

The heart sculpture was created by artist Stuart Melrose, who has worked on the Amnesty Art project alongside members of the Young Voices project run by Reading’s Starting Point mentoring service.

The creative process  involved young people shaping the design of the sculpture and learning through developing a new programme to educate on the risks and consequences of violence and knives.

Mr Melrose said: “It has been a fascinating project to work on, drawing upon what the partners felt represented their hopes for Reading and those growing up here, but also as a symbol of the resilience in the community and its strength.

“The young people I worked with are overcoming all the challenges they face growing up today, but their enthusiasm and vision has shaped both the sculpture but also a wider brand which will help the education project have a lasting impact.”

After the speeches the Armoured Heart was unveiled on Monday, May 15.