About us
Kevin Everard and David Morris started the organisation in 1998, having both spent years working as police officers in London, specialising in keeping officers and the public safe by dealing with violent / aggressive behaviour. Both had been privileged to have researched various ways of dealing with violent / aggressive behaviour and had helped to design and implement training programmes aimed at reducing injury to both officers and the public.
One fact hit them. If many of the victims they had dealt with as police officers had been given some training in personal safety, then they may not have been victims!
Be Safe have worked closely with Local authorities, Colleges, Schools and many other organisations that have recognised the need for this type of training.
One aspect of our work has been to run workshops for young people (initially just young offenders but now available to any groups of young people), trying to discourage them from violent behaviour and weapons carrying.
In 2006 The Home Secretary came to view our Leeds project and we now work Nationally in partnership with the Home Office, trying to reduce violence and weapons use among young people. Be Safe also sit on a cross party parliamentary think tank, “Kids Count”, where our expertise is being used to form new approaches to the problems of young people and violence.
Be Safe Directors work closely with the Home Office, sitting on the Guns Gangs & Knives round table and it’s sub committees which are part of the Violent crime reduction unit and we are regularly invited to Downing street where the prime minister chairs another small group looking into these problems.
Be Safe have gained an enviable reputation within the education sector, drawing on our own experiences of working with some of the most difficult young people around, we are able to advise and train other professionals, giving positive techniques to assist them to keep a good learning environment within their establishments.
We are able to advise and train on two of the most contentious issues in education today, searching pupils and their belongings and the safe and ethical use of physical interventions.
Be Safe have formed good working relationships with many Nationally recognisable institutions such as Reed Employment, The Corporation of London, the Home Office, The Princes Trust and the Royal Armouries.
Among other things we specialise in dealing with the safety of young people, challenging behaviour from young people and the safety of those adults who supervise them.
In 2007 Be Safe made a proposal to the Home Office, that more Be Safe Weapons Awareness Trainers were needed throughout the UK, and suggested that the Home Office should fund the training and licensing of these trainers in order to establish some quality control of education in this field.
The Home Office agreed and our train the trainers course now forms part of the government's five year violent crime reduction strategy.
Sadly, we only have funding for 75 new trainers each year, but we are currently negotiating to increase this number.