'My son was murdered at school - the way I found out was devastating'

Caroline Willgoose is convinced her son was put on this earth for a reason - to help others and make a difference.

That’s why the mum of three from Sheffield is determined to carry on her campaign to combat knife crime in his name.

Harvey Willgoose was just 15 when he was stabbed to death at school in February. Another 15-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was found guilty of his murder on Friday.

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Now, as Caroline reflects on her nomination for a Pride of Britain Award, she is sure her ‘cheeky chappie’ son is right beside her as she pushes forward on a raft of measures to ensure his death is not in vain.

“Harvey never wanted people arguing, he wanted people to come together. That’s what we want from this campaign and I feel he won’t let me stop until we’ve achieved what we’ve set out to do,” says Caroline.

“He’s there, saying ‘keep going, keep going’. I know he wants me to get the message out there.

“And I will.”

Together with Harvey’s dad Mark, Caroline is campaigning for knife arches to be installed in secondary schools. They are also establishing ‘Harvey’s Hub’ a youth club movement where youngsters can meet and socialise.

And Caroline wants to see posters featuring Harvey to be placed in schools, shopping centres and even GP surgeries. Initiated by the youth service arm of Crimestoppers they aim to give advice and offer help to youngsters worried about crime.

Caroline and Mark, who are also parents to 28-year-old Sophie and son Lewis 25, have already met with the Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, about the introduction of knife arches - structures similar to the metal detectors used in courts and airports.

“I have a petition going and I need 100,000 signatures for it to be discussed in Parliament. We’re halfway there,” Caroline explains.

“When you hear ‘knife crime’ you think of gangs or drugs, not schools. But kids are carrying knives and I don’t think people appreciate the scale of the issue.

“And of course you never think it will happen to you - until it does.”

She is also passionate about highlighting the problem of ‘school avoidance’.

“There’s a bigger picture to come out of all this. School isn’t for every kid and it’s a serious problem - things have got to change. Harvey was an avoider but he tried his best.

“But that day he went and he said: ‘Mum, are you proud of me? I’m going to school of my own accord’, and I said yes. Then he said, ‘Love you - shut the door behind me’. And they were his last words to me.”

It was as Caroline was getting ready for work that she took a phone call from Mark’s mum to tell her something had happened to Harvey.

“Then Mark was on the phone shouting: ‘He’s been stabbed! He’s been stabbed!’ The next minute a police car arrived at the door.”

Initially travelling at speed with blue lights on, Caroline was comforted when, part way into the journey, officers turned off the lights and slowed.

“I thought then he must be OK. Then we got to the hospital and I looked on my phone and someone had posted RIP Harvey. Medics confirmed it. We were just screaming.”

She admits there are days when her grief feels overwhelming but says she is motivated by her son, a boy she says “lived at a million miles an hour”. She is clearly thrilled that taster sessions of Harvey’s Hub run over the summer have been hugely successful.

“I went to youth clubs when I was younger - it was somewhere to chill out with your friends. And that’s what I want to do with Harvey’s Hub. I’d love to see them popping up everywhere.

“Youngsters have had a chunk of their childhood lost to Covid and some have forgotten how to socialise. We want to offer a space to come and have something to eat, listen to music, and chat.

“One little girl who came to a recent session told her mum she had made new friends. I went home and cried - I felt like we’d done something positive.”

She is pleased with the Pride of Britain nomination and hopes it will bring more attention to her aims.

What does she think Harvey would make of the campaign?

“There are no winners in any of this but if we can keep kids safe and prevent anything like this happening again? Well, I think Harvey would be proud.”

The Daily Mirror Pride of Britain Awards with P&O Cruises honour the nation's unsung heroes, with the star-studded celebration screened every year on ITV.

The deadline for public nominations is midnight tonight, so if you know someone who deserves a Pride of Britain Award, now is the time to tell us about them.

Nominate now at prideofbritain.com