Oswestry’s British Ironwork Centre was presented with the prestigious Rotary International Peace Award in recognition of its National Anti-Violence Monument with the creation of the Knife Angel sculpture, which has been created from weapons collected in knife banks across the UK with the help of the police. Owner Clive Knowles said, “We’re overwhelmed to have won, so much has gone into creating the monument with the goal of making a difference to UK’s knife crime blight, so it is truly humbling to be recognised for our work.”
The sculpture took two and a half years to create from conception to completion, consists of 100,000 knives and stands at almost 30 feet tall. Described as a “truly stunning work of art” by BBC’s The One Show presenter Alex Jones, the sculpture has been developed with the support and backing of hundreds of families who have lost loved ones to knife crime.
The crusade continues as the UK sees a rise in knife crime, and the British Ironworks has now completed the application for the Knife Angel monument to go to Trafalgar Square to highlight this blight. Humanitarian and past peace envoy to the Archbishop of Canterbury, Terry Waite CBE, has stepped in to appeal to the London Mayor’s Office to encourage the effort and allow the Knife Angel to have its voice.
