INTERVIEW t’s hard to imagine how you pick draining, so the family decided instead says Brooke. ‘He’s very tough. He talks about yourself up and carry on with life to produce an exhibition to educate how his grandad died last year, but that he when a young member of your family young people about the consequences of couldn’t go to the funeral or say goodbye. has been murdered. Brooke Kinsella, knife crime. The message within all this is to choose your whose brother Ben was stabbed to The exhibition spent its first six months friends wisely and make the right choices. death in June 2008, says the generosity and in Islington, near the home of Ben’s beloved A moment of madness has taken Ben away Isupport of Ben’s friends gave her and her Arsenal, and has recently moved to Millwall from us, but it’s also affected those three men family the strength to set up a charity to raise Football Club in South London. [convicted of his murder] and their families.’ awareness of knife crime. It comprises a series of rooms. The first Nearly 3,000 primary and secondary ‘To be honest, when it first happened I is Ben’s room, including photos of him, his school children ranging from 10 to 18 years didn’t have the strength to do anything. All artwork and interviews with friends about Ben old have visited the exhibition so far, signing I could think was, “I’m a big sister and I don’t – which shows that he was a typical teenager a pledge that they will never carry a knife. have a little brother anymore”,’ she says. who liked football, girls, art and his Xbox, and The campaign has also achieved something The campaign started because Ben’s his aspirations to become a graphic designer. that Ben specifically said he wanted: the friends – 15- and 16-year-olds – organised a lengthening of the maximum prison sentence march through the streets of Islington to say, for knife crime from 15 to 25 years. ‘Why Ben? No to knives.’ It was a few days For the past five years Brooke has been after Ben’s murder and Brooke, an actress and Watching my mum, involved with every aspect of running the former cast member of EastEnders, went along trust, such as raising money and organising to offer her support. dad and sisters talking the exhibition. In recognition of her work ‘At the end of it I was asked to stand up about what they’ve against knife crime she was made an MBE in and thank people. I remember saying: 2011. But now she thinks it is time to focus “Please don’t make me do this, I haven’t got been through is on her career, which is why the charity has the strength.” But I did and it was almost as if heartbreaking employed a manager. it was Ben’s voice coming out. A client of St. James’s Place Partner ‘People said: “Right, we will support you. John Klipp, Brooke is grateful for the support If you want to do something, we will support A cinema room screens videos of Ben’s she received from the St. James’s Place you.’’ It was a turning point.’ family talking about him and what has Foundation, both in the form of a donation Within days, the Kinsella family had set up happened, from getting that initial call to pay for schoolchildren to attend the a registered charity – the Ben Kinsella Trust from the police, to the impact his murder exhibition and in advice on establishing and (www.benkinsella.org.uk) – so that people has had five years on and how it destroys a running the charity. wanting to give money in memory of Ben and family. ‘Watching my mum, dad and sisters ‘I didn’t have any knowledge about to combat knife crime would know where to talking about what they’ve been through business, funding, law or politics and channel their donations. is heartbreaking,’ says Brooke. ‘It’s a very these are all the things that come into play ‘Ben had been concerned about youth powerful room that gets people thinking: when you are running a charity,’ she says. violence. After his death I was rummaging “This could happen to my family.”’ ‘Because it was so high profile we were through his bedroom trying to find new An education room is packed with dealing with the government, the Home memories because there weren’t going to information about knife crime: the laws Office and the police.’ be any more. I found his English coursework relating to carrying a knife, what you should do Nevertheless, it seems unlikely that she will book and there was a letter addressed to if someone is injured from a stabbing and the stop campaigning altogether. One 10-year-old Gordon Brown expressing his worries about consequences, not just for the victim’s family boy who visited the exhibition wrote: ‘One youth violence and making our streets safer, and friends but for the perpetrator’s family. stabbed physically is a million mentally.’ and tougher sentencing,’ says Brooke. Brooke went all over the UK to talk to people Brooke says: ‘When that comes from the ‘We thought, “He’s 16 and he’s worried for this part of the exhibition, interviewing girl mind of a 10-year-old you think, “OK, we’re about this.” This is really what the grown-ups gang members, ex-gang members, boys who getting somewhere.” But if I’m reading that should be trying to fix.’ were in prison for stabbing someone and the we’re still losing kids, then we’ve still got Brooke and her father, George, started sister of a boy who stabbed someone. work to do.’ going into schools and prisons to speak to The penultimate room is a prison cell, young people about Ben and the impact occupied by a ‘prisoner’ who explains the Find out more To watch a short promotional film of his loss had on their family. But constantly impact his crime has had on his life. ‘Kids get the Ben Kinsella Exhibition, go to www.youtube.com reliving the events was too painful and to go into the cell and listen to the prisoner,’ and search for ‘Ben Kinsella’. Alastair Levy THE INVESTOR | 15 NEW_14-15_Inteview v2 sm REPRO.indd 15 09/01/2014 10:02.