The master of Gloucestershire Round Table Lodge, Dan Walton, presented the Dean of Gloucester Cathedral, the Very Reverend Andrew Zihni, with a cheque for £500 for the Knife Angel Appeal before the annual Gloucestershire Freemasons service held in the cathedral.
The 27-foot-high sculpture, made from over 100,000 seized blades, was on display at Gloucester during February 2023 as part of its National Anti-Violence Tour. It was created to highlight the negative effects of violent and aggressive behaviour. Not only does it act as a catalyst for turning the tide on such behaviour, it also acts as a beautiful memorial designed to celebrate lives lost through these violent and thoughtless actions.
The Knife Angel is a huge, stunning contemporary sculpture of an angel made out of confiscated knives received from 43 Police Forces across the UK. It weighs in at a hefty 3.5 tonnes. Originating from The British Ironwork Centre in Oswestry and created by sculptor Alfie Bradley, it is on tour of towns and cities around Britain raising awareness of the issues of knife crime.
The Knife Angel’s spell in Gloucester was backed up by a month-long series of events, workshops and other activities across the city involving a range of organisations and people of all ages and backgrounds. The Legacy Fund will help pay for much needed violence reduction groups that will directly support the youth in our communities.
Dan has worked for over 20 years with young people who are vulnerable to becoming involved in youth violence and aggression, so this is a charity very close to the heart of the Gloucestershire Round Table Lodge’s master.
