STOURBRIDGE Rugby Club is to host a community charity event to highlight and help tackle the growing problem of knife crime.

Working in partnership with charity Opening Boundaries and West Midlands Police - the club will be holding the event at the end of the season at its Stourton Park ground on May 6.

Stourbridge RFU will be encouraging players, sponsors, supporters and friends to show their support for the campaign, named 'I Support Tackling Knife Crime', which will see funds raised for Birmingham Children's Hospital.

Robin Edwards, chairman at Stourbridge Rugby Club, said: “The devastating effect of the increase in knife crime is being felt across UK society and locally we have felt the terrible sadness of lives being lost through this dreadful evil.

"To combat this un-welcome and unacceptable behaviour we believe it is vital for our community to come together in support of organisations that can tackle this problem and collectively we aim to raise funds from rugby to invest in a safer future for us all."

Detective Superintendent Ian Parnell, of West Midlands Police, said: "Across the West Midlands there has been a recent increase in knife crime, ranging from possession offences at one end to murder at the other.”

“We acknowledge that knives are too often the weapon of choice, but we are working really hard with retailers, schools and partners to remove knives from the streets of the West Midlands.

"We’re ensuring those who do carry a knife are robustly dealt with through the criminal justice system. There is now better reporting of knife crime from schools, and more efforts from police to understand why young people feel the need to carry bladed weapons.

"I am supportive of any community-led initiative that seeks to prevent knife crime and the terrible impact it has on families and communities."

The fundraiser, which is being supported by Stourbridge MP Margot James, will also include activities for the family and a chance to talk to representatives from Birmingham Children’s Hospital and West Midlands Police at the event.

Stourbridge News:

Farah Ahmed, project manager for Opening Boundaries, (pictured above with Margot James MP) said: "We hope the day will raise money for a good cause whilst bringing people from the community together to say ‘no’ to any form of violence.

"We want to use sport as a positive diversionary which can engage with people of all races, genders and classes."

The organisers are now seeking expressions of interest from people keen to take part on the day, as teams or as individuals.

Teams will play a series of round robin games under the RFU Rugby10s format and there will also be an option of Touch Rugby.

For more information or to register interest email info@openingboundaries.org by January 31.