Teen warns pupils of the dangers of knife crime

"Now when I walk home from school or walk in public I do check behind me," says 15 year old Mathieu.

His words were part of a safety talk to Year 6 pupils at Dorchester Primary School near Epsom, Surrey.

Determined to spread awareness after his own experience of knife crime, he has spoken to over 400 children in the last two months.

Mathieu has now been shortlisted for a BBC Radio Surrey and BBC Radio Sussex Make A Difference Award.

In July 2024 Mathieu was walking home from school with a friend. They were in an alleyway when two men pulled out a knife and demanded he hand over his phone.

"I think the first 30 seconds were kind of in shock, I didn't realise what was happening,

"I was shaking a bit, and then I guess I was in shock and quite anxious about what was going to happen – whether they were going to use the knife or something else," Mathieu recalled.

Keen to prevent others sharing similar experiences, his talks provide pupils with safety tips about how to be safer when travelling to and from school, as well as sharing his own story.

"I think it is important to spread the message that it does go on and it is something we can't fully prevent, but if we can prevent it happening to a few people then that is the ultimate goal," he says.

A practical workshop including writing down emergency contact details and looking at alternative routes home follows his talks.

Some pupils are about to transition to secondary school, where many of them may be travelling alone.

Following one of his talks Unai, a Year 6 pupil, said: "Even though you think it's not going to happen to you, you never know when you're safe or not."

Fellow student Ishaani said: "These are very real life situations that could actually happen to us and it's important that we learn about them and educate ourselves."

And Ora said: "It was really necessary, especially how most of us are going to be travelling by ourselves to school."

Mathieu's mother Kim says she is really "proud" of what her son is doing.

"Obviously in the early talks it was difficult to hear again and it was difficult for him to relive it," she said.

"He has done a lot of community service previously so I think it is in his nature to want to help others, but yeah I am really proud as a parent."

Mathieu has been nominated in the BBC Radio Surrey and BBC Radio Sussex Make A Difference Awards Young Hero category.

The awards celebrate people who make a difference in their local communities.

"It feels really good that, through that message, I've been able to change something - a negative thing - that's happened to a more positive thing… making a difference in the local communities," Mathieu says.

Follow BBC Surrey on Facebook, on X and on Instagram, and listen to BBC Radio Surrey on Sounds. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.