From weapons to workouts

Many of you will hopefully remember the article about Ben Wintour B'09 in The Blue Paper in 2017. As a reminder, Ben founded the charity, Steel Warriors, who melt down confiscated knives and recycle them into outdoor community gyms. They now have 3 locations in parks across London - in Tower Hamlets, Lambeth and Haringey - and are planning to build a UK-wide network, having been held up by the pandemic. 

The Director, Nick Jay, has recently shot a fantastic short film about the charity which focuses on the incredible athleticism of the young people using this outdoor calisthenics equipment, and the lives that have been transformed having previously been affected by crime, violence and social exclusion. Mr Jay said: “Anywhere from 20,000 to 40,000 knife offences were committed in the UK each year over the last five years. In response to that Steel Warriors was born. For me this is a powerful initiative and I felt compelled to create this film.”

You can view the new Steel Warriors film here.

Steel Warriors are very much looking forward to their sites reopening on Monday 29th March as restrictions are eased across the country.

Ben will always remember his time at Worth and has an inspiring message for young Worthians, "Even if you think that a lot of your own goals and aspirations have slipped through the net during this time, feel reassured that it's the right time to be young and brimming with ideas. Some of the most brilliant innovations and work gets produced after a great depression (like a pandemic or even a war). The ground is becoming more and more fertile for bright young minds to make a meaningful difference."

www.steelwarriors.co.uk