Award-winning author educates Doncaster children on drug and knife crime

Christina Gabbitas visited St Wilfrid’s Academy and Big Picture Learning where she taught pupils using her story, No More Knives or County Lines.

The story is about a group of friends who are groomed by a man into delivering drugs to Manchester and Leeds using trains and taxis.

Christina, who lives in Selby in North Yorkshire, was approached by Doncaster Council after undertaking work in other schools across Yorkshire and Lancashire. She has worked in partnership with various local police authorities to deliver her talks.

She said: “I’m a big believer in educating children to recognise when they are being groomed, the damage that drugs can have on their brain development, understanding the terminology of county lines and the consequences of carrying knives. Children are being targeted from a very young age. One teacher contacted me to say that she was shocked to learn that one of her primary leavers was a front runner in a county line. It’s evident that we need to educate our children, parents , carers and communities and make them aware of the signs.”

She added: “This is the most rewarding work that I have undertaken to date. If I can help to prevent just one child from being groomed and exploited, I will have achieved something.”

The full story can be read by visiting the website at https://www.nomoreknifecrime.co.uk/

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