Black Onyx Academy to Tour Staffordshire with Knife Amnesty Campaign

Black Onyx Academy will take its Mobile Knife Amnesty Van across Staffordshire from 16 to 20 November, launching its POINT TAKEN campaign to encourage safer knife use and the surrender of unwanted bladed items.

THE SIGNAL BRIEF

What’s new: Black Onyx Academy is launching its POINT TAKEN knife prevention campaign with a five-day tour across Staffordshire.

Why it matters: The campaign encourages households and organisations to surrender unwanted knives and consider replacing pointed kitchen knives with blunt-ended alternatives.

What’s next: The Mobile Knife Amnesty Van will visit Stafford, Stoke-on-Trent, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Burton, Tamworth and Cannock from 16 to 20 November.

Training provider Black Onyx Academy has announced a major county-wide week of action running from Monday 16 November to Friday 20 November.

Taking to the road in their custom-built Mobile Knife Amnesty Van, the veteran-led team will visit high-profile locations across Staffordshire to drive POINT TAKEN - The Staffordshire Knife Swap Pledge, which is a campaign aimed at removing unwanted bladed items from streets and households.

“POINT TAKEN is a vital initiative to raise awareness around the removable of sharp-ended knives in the home and on our streets,” said Stef Northfield, Strategic Lead at Black Onyx Academy.

“Research by Dr Leisa Nichols-Drew (DE Mountfort University 2025), highlights the importance of reducing the risks associated with conventional pointed kitchen knives, particularly their potential to cause serious or fatal injuries.

“By encouraging households, schools and businesses to replace pointed kitchen knives with safer, rounded-tip alternatives, we can take a proactive step towards reducing harm, preventing injuries and ultimately saving lives.”

The campaign is also calling upon Staffordshire businesses and organisations to pledge their support by becoming a Challenge Partner and they have already received support from AMB Insurance, Capula, Black Onyx Concepts, Newcastle & Stafford Colleges Group, PREM Management, Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce, Turnaround Print Services and Stoke-on-Trent College.

Talking about the initiatives Challenge Partners, Stef added: “Our initiative is being supported by Challenge Partners, which means that each partner will receive a unique QR code and all we ask is that the organisation promotes POINT TAKEN through their media channels along with in-house posters to encourage people to surrender unwanted knives and consider replacing pointed kitchen knives with blunt-ended alternatives.

“We are not asking organisations to collect any knives - just to support the campaign and encourage others and we have already received support from some brilliant organisations. We would welcome anyone who would like to become a partner to reach out, or come and see us during our week of action.”

Additionally, the week of action will showcase Black Onyx Academy’s flagship accredited educational programmes: S.A.L.T.® (Save A Life Today): The UK's first accredited knife awareness workshop, combining risk identification, conflict management, and emergency response training and - Operation Mindset: High-impact mentorship workshops for 11–16-year-olds utilising military principles of discipline, resilience, and personal accountability.

The high-tier training provider have also partnered with The Daniel Baird Foundation, which was established by Lynne Baird after her son Dan Baird tragically lost his life in 2017, due to the lack of immediate bleeding control equipment, to raise awareness about bleed control kits during the week.

For more details, please contact Stef Northfield at stef@blackonyxacademy.com.

Why the Signal exists

Real news takes time. Thanks for taking yours.

You've just read a story that took time to get right. No clickbait, no racing to be first, no ads chasing you down the page.

I started The Staffordshire Signal because I got fed up of local news that chased clicks instead of stories. We're independent, not-for-profit, IMPRESS-regulated and owned right here, so we answer to nobody but you.

The honest bit: local news only survives if local people choose it. If we don't, it goes.

Jenna GoodwinFounder and Editor, The Staffordshire Signal

Love what we do?

Buy us an oatcake! Cheese and bacon, if you're feeling generous. Every tip goes straight into local reporting.

Buy us an oatcake

Miss a proper paper?

Staffordshire's only regional printed magazine, full of stories worth sitting down with, delivered to your door.

Get it delivered

Follow on WhatsApp

Our stories, dropped straight into your phone. No group chat chaos, we promise.

Join the channel

What's On

Find something good to do this week

Markets, gigs, history talks and family days out across Staffordshire. Running an event? Add it to our guide and let the county know.

See what's on Add your event

For local businesses

Run a Staffordshire business?

Our readers keep the Signal going, and the businesses who advertise with us help keep it free for everyone. Reach people who read to the end, across our magazine, Signal Weekly, Signal TV and website.

Enquire about advertising