Anti-knife crime exhibition dedicated to murdered teen Ben Kinsella returns to Islington

The exhibition includes a mock jail cell (Image: Archant)

The Ben Kinsella Exhibition opened its doors at a new home in Finsbury Library, in St Jonh Street, on Thursday.

The move will mark a permanent return to the borough after a year of being based in South London at Millwall Football Club.

Following the Holloway youngster’s tragic death six years ago, the Ben Kinsella Trust was set up to provide knife crime awareness as a legacy for Ben.

A statement issued by Ben’s parents Debbie and George Kinsella: “We are very proud that our exhibition has returned to Islington.”

“We are grateful to the London Borough of Islington for their support and feel honoured that together we are leading the way in keeping the boroughs streets safe by teaching school children to make the right life choices.”

Cllr Paul Convery, Islington Council’s executive member for community safety, said: “Ben’s murder was a terrible loss of young life, which was deeply felt across our community.”

He added: “We’re very pleased to welcome the excellent Ben Kinsella Exhibition back to Islington, and will work with the Ben Kinsella Trust to help make sure as many young people as possible are able to visit.”

The Ben Kinsella Exhibition first launched two years ago and has since been visited by over 4000 children and young people from across London.

The trust will use the showcase to deliver interactive workshops that cover personal safety, consequences, choices and knife crime.

They include an actor in a prison cell, and films which encourage young people to engage in discussion and debate.

One of Islington’s biggest youth football teams, the Isledon Wolves under-14s, received a grant to take boys from low income or single parent backgrounds to the exhibition on Saturday.