Secret Millionaire bankrolls battle against knife attacks

A wealthy businesswoman who appeared on TV show The Secret Millionaire revealed today how she is bankrolling a new campaign to help tackle knife and gun crime in the capital.

Emma Harrison, who has an £80 million fortune, has co-founded Through UNITY, with Richard Taylor, the father of murdered 10-year-old Damilola Taylor, and Ian Levy, whose 16-year-old son Robert was killed trying to protect a friend in Hackney in September 2004.

Through UNITY is a coalition of 10 grassroots organisations working to stop youth and gang crime.

Members include groups such as the Flavasum Trust, which teaches teenagers music skills to keep them off the streets. It is run by Peter Sinclair, whose stepson, Tom Easton, 22, was stabbed to death in Islington in 2006.

Through UNITY has drawn up a manifesto that includes supporting victims' families and providing mentors for young people. It will also act as a joint political lobby group and provide the groups with support in areas such as fundraising and staff training.

Harrison, 44, said that as a mother she was horrified by the spate of deaths. So far this year, 16 teenagers have been stabbed to death in London, prompting the Evening Standard's Beat Knife Crime campaign.

"Most of these kids were not looking for trouble," she said. "That's why there needs to be culture change. You've got to get into the guts of this thing and people are going to have to be really brave about what is making young people behave like this."

Harrison, who has a home in Knightsbridge, will this year give around £100,000 to the charity. She said: "Through Unity was created by bringing together parties who were operating in their own space so they could create something powerful."

She realised small charities needed help after appearing on the Channel 4 reality show The Secret Millionaire. "The plan was to take the top people who are normally only available to the big charities and offer that support to the small guys," she said.

Over the next five years her training company A4E will also offer £2million worth of help through the Foundation for Social Improvement, which she set up last year.