Through Unity was founded in December 2007 by two bereaved fathers: Richard Taylor, whose son Damilola Taylor was tragically murdered at the age of just 10 in Peckham in 2000; and Ian Levy, whose son Robert Levy was murdered in September 2004 when he heroically rushed to the aid of a boy he did not know who was being threatened with a knife in Hackney Grove.

Both men shared the same vision: to bring families together and to unite their voices. They wanted to campaign and work alongside other families to make our streets safer. They wanted to give young people jobs and hope for a bright future. They were part of a group of early campaigners and educators working with young people at the time, teaching them and warning of the dangers of drugs, gangs, and weapons-carrying.

They were quicky joined by many families who brought with them their own skills and passions to make our communities safer. Among the families who shaped our work were:

·        Peter Sinclair, who is married to Dolores Altaras, whose son Tom-Louis Easton was killed in September 2006 whilst working as a youth worker and sound engineer at the EC1 Music Project in Islington providing music training to young people. They set up the Flavasum Trust, which continues to work with young people.