---
title: Inspiring Future Champions
description: Everyone needs to help change the negative narrative that media normally cover on this issue, this is not just an issue of poor black criminal boys.
author: Dr Marina Nani (Editor-in-Chief)
date: 2019-05-05T09:13:59.000Z
updated: 2026-02-25T15:40:44.577Z
canonical: https://www.sovereignmagazine.com/article/inspiring-future-champions
image: https://cdn.nanimediahouse.com/Kiyan_Prince_for_QPR.jpeg
categories: Social Impact
content_type: Column
region: England
publication: Sovereign Magazine
about:
  - type: Person
    name: Dr Stella Vig
---

** #**ChangeTheNorm Stories Series by Dr Stella Vig

The world is changing rapidly,
and society is struggling to adapt to the change. This column will highlight
those who are recognising the challenges and developing solutions to
accommodate this change.

I have been saddened by the level of knife crime that continues to
plague our society. Anyone who has children will hope to see them thrive and
achieve more than the parents, whether this is financially or socially. The
tragedy of investing in your children and seeing their lives cut short at such
a young age cannot be imagined. The senseless violence that has engulfed us is
no longer in isolated violent communities but is now on our doorsteps. It is
happening to children of friends and colleagues.

This week I interview Dr Mark Prince. His son Kiyan Prince died
violently on the 18th May 2006 whilst trying to prevent harm to
another child. The loving nature, by which he was
known, was what made him step in and defend his friend who was being picked on
by another youth. The incident took place outside the gates of his school, the
London Academy, located in Edgware North London. Kiyan attempted to resolve the
situation in the most peaceable way by directly challenging the aggressor.

The ‘killer’, 16-year-old Hannad Hasan, felt that Kiyan had
disrespected him because he stood up to him. He then turned and callously
killed Kiyan – plunging a knife straight into his chest. Kiyan died of a
single, but fatal, stab wound to his heart.

Mark
has set up the Kiyan Prince Foundation, with a vision to “work with young people to increase
awareness and address the consequences of gun and knife crime through
education. It aims to empower young people by promoting a sense of belonging,
self-worth and purpose that can be found outside of gang culture and offending
behaviour through providing access to diversionary and preventative
activities”. He has been honoured with an OBE, for services to tackling knife and
gang crime in London.

*Please tell us about yourself*

So, this could take all day to answer! Be a
great start if everyone could buy The Prince of Peace on Amazon that would
help, but for interview purposes I would say that from a young age I have
always had a love for reading books, learning and dreaming big. I also love sports
activities and I mean any sport activity. I had my favourites like football,
cricket and basketball but I just love being active and developing skills. I had
a Dad who was extremely harsh to say the least. The recurrent dishing out of punishment
led to emotional and physical damage on my part which took a long time to
recognise. I ran away from home at 15 initially getting into drugs, alcohol and
criminal behaviour. Being a determined young man with dreams and aspirations I decided
at 21 to break the cycle and change. I decided that I wanted to be a champion
and become a professional boxer. This determination and hard work led to me
becoming no1 in the world ranking and fighting for a world title.

This journey changed me as a person, and I
developed the character needed to set and attain goals which made me proud.
This in turn made my friends and family proud of me which was not present in my
former lifestyle.

Life continued to throw testing experiences.  I buried my stillborn baby, my high profile career
abruptly ended after a freak accident that left my knee out of its socket
tearing all the surrounding ligaments. My mum was given a 30% chance of
surviving an operation to the brain to release a blood clot but the most severe
one was having to identify my son after the doctor announced his death by stab
wound to the heart! This left me an utterly broken man. I was tested on every
level as a human being rethinking what I stood for and what I had taught my son,
those values embedded on his journey to be a man.

I found out a lot about myself during this
experience. I would say I am determined, I am truth, I am forgiveness, I am
love, I am a leader, I am growing, I am life, I love life, I love people, and I
love the manufacturer of human beings, my creator God.

*Would you describe Kiyan and his love for life as well as the tragedy that sparked *[*The Kiyan Prince Foundation*](http://www.thekpf.com/)*?*

To describe Kiyan is very simple, he was very
funny, laid back, caring and peaceful son. He was a leader that left an
impression amongst his peers and grownups alike, even when Kiyan was being cheeky
or naughty you liked him!

Kiyan,
played for Queens Park Rangers Under-16’s football team. He was dubbed ‘The
Bullet’ because of his speed and he was hailed as the next Wayne Rooney… tipped
to play for England. After his death QPR confirmed that he was going to be
offered a professional contract.

Kiyan
was a beautiful, thoughtful, kind and considerate young man. How he lived was
reflected in the way he died. Even though he must have been very scared and in
pain, in dying he still represented the life he lived. His heart was so full of
love and empathy for others. In his final minutes his thoughts were, even then,
still of others. As he lay bleeding, he told his friends: “if these are my last
words… tell my Mum I love her’.

The tragedy that sparked the foundation is a very
sad story, to leave school and walk up to an altercation peacefully trying to
break it up is not where you expect to die. To start the Foundation because of
your son’s death and impact on so many young people’s lives is not where you
expect to find your purpose!

*What problems are you trying to solve with knife crime?*

The
main problem we are solving is changing the negative narrative that this is a
problem with only an isolated demographic of youth. This is a problem with
leadership, from government leadership to parental leadership. Even social platforms
of leadership i.e. online music are sending out negative messages. We need to
change the narrative and sending out positive message to empower young people
and this needs to be solved by changing people’s mindset and this can only be
done through education and inspiration.

*Who are the people who could benefit?*

People
with low self-esteem, behavioural issues, negative mindsets and anger problems.
Partly this is a phase of life, but this needs a senior steer. These children
have an untapped talent potential. These children fall into several groups, primary
age 7-11, secondary age 12-16 and young adults age 16-24 groups. The other
group are the young offenders. What we often hear from our volunteers is that anyone
who works with these young people often find that they benefit from the
interactions with these children too.

*What are the challenges to make the public aware of your work?*

Funding is
always a challenge because we need to be sustainable to continue reaching these
children. We lack premises and this is a huge issue because there are so many
young people we want to reach out to. We know we can continue to support them
with our programs, but we have nowhere to deliver these especially as community
youth centres and programmes have been discontinued.

*What keeps you going?*

It is
difficult. I get a special boost when I receive the many messages from young
people expressing how they have changed the way they think regarding carrying
knives and their peers carrying knives. I feel like I can let Kiyan know that
children are telling me that I have become their new role (real) model and have
saved their lives and they have never been so inspired before. This and evidence
that the work being done continues to make a difference keeps me going.

*What can we do to help?*

You can highlight positive stories where we have demonstrated we have
evoked change. Please encourage people to make donations so we can continue our
work.  Everyone needs to help change the
negative narrative that media normally cover on this issue, this is not just an
issue of poor black criminal boys. Share the Kiyan Prince Foundation’s work and
encourage Corporates to adopt us as a Corporate responsibility. If anyone can
signpost to premises that we can use, we would be grateful.

*What key message do you want to highlight?*

That we are
all here for a purpose and as individuals we have great value to add to this
planet with our talent, gift and positive thinking. Our roles should be
inspiring young people and supporting the children who are disenfranchised and
disadvantaged. This is a society and community role.

We must
educate and demonstrate leadership qualities. By doing this we can educate and
role model to our children, so they recognise when they are being led astray.