Knife crime campaigner Yvonne Lawson praised a new initiative by the Mayor of London to map out activities available to young people over the summer to try to tackle serious youth violence.

Last week the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan released an interactive map of events for Londoners to stop young people getting caught up in gangs and violence over the summer.

The map is available on the City Hall website and promotes more than 200 activities including education, art and sports activities.

Ms Lawson is the founder and CEO of the Godwin Lawson Foundation, just one of the groups signed up to the interactive activities map.

She set up the charity in 2012 to build awareness of knife crime and its consequences after her son Godwin was stabbed to death in Stamford Hill in 2011.

Ms Lawson praised the interactive map in making young people “aware” of activities available to them over the summer.

She said: “When we are working in schools we find a lot of young people don’t know about the activities available to them during the summer holidays.

“This is a positive initiative to let people know what is on offer.

“Young people want to be outside, but they can’t be outside when there’s nothing positive for them to engage with.”

During the summer holidays the GLF will be hosting a charity football match with people from all over London as well as hosting workshops for young people.

The workshops focus on gang crime and the consequences young people can face by carrying a knife.

She said that the GLF does “key work” in talking to young people about the dangers of violence and keeping themselves safe, as well as playing a role in offering them skills in both communication and team work.

Ms Lawson said: “Lots of adults take those skills for granted but a lot of young people don’t have them so if we can provide those young people with those skills and resilience they are less likely to carry a knife.

The campaigner also said that youth groups act as a “positive way” of bringing young people together.

She said: “Youth clubs provide young people with activities that can engage them in a positive way.

“We need to engage young people all the time, if they are engaged they are not wandering around the streets.

She added: “Another thing is for parents to be more vigilant and to know where their children are. They have a role to play too.”