An immersive anti-knife crime education space has opened in Barking in memory of a murdered 16-year-old boy.

Launched by The Ben Kinsella Trust, the exhibition will use actors in interactive workshops to deliver hard-hitting examples of the consequences of knife crime for the victim and the perpetrator.

The workshops will tell the tragic story of Ben, who was killed in a knife attack in Islington in 2008, and of parents who have lost their children in recent years.

Barking and Dagenham Post: Displays celebrating the lives of Dagenham teens Jodie Chesney and Duran Kajiama at the Ben Kinsella Trust exhibition.Displays celebrating the lives of Dagenham teens Jodie Chesney and Duran Kajiama at the Ben Kinsella Trust exhibition. (Image: LBBD)

The site will host schools and youth groups in the borough to challenge and change attitudes towards knife crime.

Speaking at its launch, Ben’s sister Brooke Kinsella said: “If one young person walks through the exhibition and decides to not use a knife, it’ll all be worth it for me.”

Dagenham teens Jodie Chesney and Duran Kajiama are among the victims who lives are celebrated at the Choices and Consequences exhibition, which opened on September 29 at the Barking and Dagenham Foyer in Wakering Road.

The Ben Kinsella Trust, a charity set up after his death, says the site is its third and largest space.

Trust chief executive Patrick Green said: “No family should ever lose a child to knife crime, and by working with families and organisations in Barking and Dagenham, we have taken this important step to stopping this happening.”

Barking and Dagenham Post: A mock prison cell room which forms part of the interactive exhibition space.A mock prison cell room which forms part of the interactive exhibition space. (Image: LBBD)

The council says the site is one of the outcomes of the serious violence summits held in 2019 and 2020 in partnership with neighbouring Redbridge and Havering.

Barking and Dagenham Councillor Margaret Mullane, cabinet member for enforcement and community safety, said: “This new facility lays bare the realities of knife crime and shows that actions have consequences.

“It isn’t like you see on TV or in films, it’s a gruesome, devastating act.

“We want to make Barking and Dagenham a no-go area for knife crime, but there’s only so much the police can do, which is why we launched our lost hours campaign and why we put in place our responsible retailer scheme.

“Together, we will tackle this appalling crime.”

Visit https://benkinsella.org.uk/ for more information.