Meet the Team

Leanne Lucas

Founder and Executive Director

Member, Home Office Knife Crime Coalition

Leanne Lucas is the Founder of Let’s Be Blunt CIC, a prevention-led organisation focused on reducing knife harm through safer design, education and systems change.

Leanne is an experienced primary school teacher, who has worked across schools in Sefton and internationally in Shanghai, China. Alongside her teaching career, she trained as a children’s yoga teacher and completed a Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling, shaping a practice grounded in child development, trauma awareness and emotional wellbeing.

In 2025, Leanne founded Let’s Be Blunt CIC, bringing together lived experience, evidence-based research, and practical action to reduce everyday risks associated with knife harm. Since its launch, Let’s Be Blunt has played a key role in supporting the Safer Knife Replacement National Working Group, working alongside Violence Reduction Units (VRUs), local authorities, and national partners to expand safer knife initiatives across the UK.

Leanne is a member of the Home Office Knife Crime Coalition and works closely with professionals across multiple sectors, including local authorities, VRUs, education settings, and experts in their fields such as trauma surgeons, psychiatrists, academics, judges, and established charities.

She regularly meets with Ministers and Home Office departments to contribute to discussions on policy, standards, and national progress around knife harm reduction. Leanne is also an experienced public speaker and facilitator, having delivered keynote talks at the Reducing Knife Harm Conference, De Montfort University’s Safer Knife Campus launch, and Knife Crime Awareness Week.

Alongside this work, she delivers awareness and training sessions for education staff, foster carers, parents, and community professionals, supporting safer practices across homes, schools, and public settings.

Through Let’s Be Blunt, Leanne continues to champion prevention-led, evidence-based change - working collaboratively to create safer everyday environments and establish new norms that reduce harm before it occurs.

Areas of Expertise:

Lived experience and prevention advocacy
Education and community engagement
Public speaking and awareness programmes
Policy engagement and partnership working

Leisa Nichols-Drew is a Chartered Forensic Practitioner (ChFP), Churchill Fellow (CF), and an Associate Professor at De Montfort University (DMU) in Leicester. She began her career in forensic science casework in 2000, and has examined crime scene evidence across a wide range of serious investigations, including homicides, sexually motivated offences, terrorist-related incidents, and cold-case reviews.

In 2018, Leisa was awarded a prestigious Churchill Fellowship, travelling to Australia and Canada to explore international approaches to knife crime prevention and detection. Her findings informed a series of proactive and reactive recommendations for the UK criminal justice system.

Her research into novel round ended kitchen knives has become internationally recognised as an approach to reducing injury risk, while maintaining full functionality for everyday use.

Leisa has presented this work globally, including a Ted X Talk, media appearances across television radio, print and online platforms, and through a United Nations policy briefing shared with member states and organisations.

Leisa Nichols-Drew

BSc MSc NTF CATE CF ChFP SFHEA PGCertHE DTLLS CMALT

Director - Research and Scientific Advisor

This research was championed by Caley Walden of the Kent and Medway Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) who embedded it within a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to establish the Safer Knife Replacement Scheme (SKRS) - an intervention designed to reduce risk in households where individuals may be vulnerable to knife harm.

Leisa now works alongside national partners to support the expansion of the SKRS model across police forces and public sector organisations.

She is a member of the UK National Knife Crime Working Group and an Associate Member of the European Network of Forensic Science Institutes (ENFSI) Scientific Working Group (Marks). She also contributes to the UK Forensic Science Regulator (FSR) Biology Specialist Group and Medical Forensics Specialist Group.

Leisa serves as a Trustee and Executive Council Member of the British Academy of Forensic Sciences (BAFS) and Trustee and Ordinary Council Member of The Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences (CSoFS). She also sits on the BSI Forensic Science FSM/1 Committee, acts as a scientific advisor to the Home Office and is a member of the interdisciplinary Safer Knife Expert Group and United Nations Women UK.

Her work also supports global efforts to address Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG).

In November 2025, the Safer Knife Expert Group organised the Reducing Knife Harm Conference at the Royal College of Psychiatrists. In January 2026, Leisa led the strategy for De Montfort University to be the UK’s first safer knife campus, supported by organisations across Leicester. She is currently supporting other educational institutions to follow DMU’s example.

Areas of Expertise:

Forensic science and knife injury prevention
Safer knife design research
Violence prevention policy
Academic research and evidence translation

'I am incredibly honoured to work with other experts in supporting Leanne and have the safer knife research provide the scientific foundation for the ‘Let’s Be Blunt’ movement. I hope this work encourages workplaces, schools and communities to replace pointed-tip kitchen knives with safer round-ended alternatives - helping reduce the risk of harm and creating safer everyday environments for everyone. '

Louise Evans

Director - Community and Education

Louise brings over 34 years of experience as a primary school teacher, dedicating her career to supporting children’s academic and emotional development. Alongside her classroom teaching, she has worked as a tutor and emotional literacy intervention teacher, helping children build resilience, confidence and the skills needed to navigate life’s challenges.

Throughout her career, Louise has led community initiatives within schools, working closely with local police and councillors to ensure children’s voices are heard in shaping their communities. She also served as Chair of a local charity for five years, supporting bereaved children and young carers.

A long-standing community advocate, Louise has organised grassroots fundraising initiatives and youth programmes that bring people together to strengthen local communities.

Louise brings warmth, experience and a deep commitment to community empowerment to Let’s Be Blunt. She believes that strong relationships, honest conversations and engaged communities play a vital role in preventing harm and creating safer futures for young people.

Areas of Expertise:

Education and child development
Emotional literacy and resilience
Community engagement and youth programmes
Safeguarding and family support