Muslim-run groups lead push to get Luton’s kids moving — and away from crime
Campaigns for gym mentorship and calisthenics park come after killings of teenage boys as founders say young people need ‘more connection’
A pair of Muslim-run community sports projects in Luton are running campaigns to create more positive spaces for young people in the wake of a 17-year-old boy’s murder.
Luton Fitness Park — a community interest company (CIC) — is campaigning for a free outdoor fitness park in the town, which it hopes could become a hub for grassroots groups and residents. Meanwhile, local gym Luton’s Most Strongest has launched a four-week programme for teenage boys combining exercise with mentoring and personal development.
The initiatives come amid increased concern around youth violence following the killing of 17-year-old Bilal Nisar in Luton, who died in hospital in July after being stabbed in a park in broad daylight. Six teenagers have since been charged with his murder. A peace walk was held in the town earlier this month, organised by Fiona Namusoke — the mother of Ashraf Habimana, who was 16 when he was fatally stabbed in Luton in 2023.
Ashraful Ahmed, teacher and co-founder of Luton Fitness Park, had known Habimana personally. He said the recent violence had brought a familiar sense of grief.
“When Ashraf died, I was really upset about it. And I didn’t really know Bilal but I felt sadness for his family. I’m upset, angry and overwhelmed,” he said.
“The question that came into my head was, what are we doing to change that? Calling it a tragedy is an easy answer because it takes away from social responsibility. When we say let’s bring justice, let’s create community, why does this knife crime happen? It’s because there’s a lack of connection and humanity,” he added.
According to figures by the Office for National Statistics, police recorded 48,774 offences involving a knife or sharp instrument in England and Wales in the year ending March 2026, a decrease of 8% compared with the previous year. In Luton, knife crime fell from 692 incidents in 2019 to 547 recorded in 2024, but appeared to be plateauing last year.
Ashraful and his co-founder Tanveer Ahmed believe creating more spaces where young people can form positive relationships could be one part of the response to violence.
“We cannot solve knife crime — I want to make that clear,” he said. “The aim for us isn’t to solve it. That’s out of our control. What we aim to do is create a space where other organisations in Luton can come together in that space to continue to push the good work that they’re already doing.”
Tanveer said his own participation in calisthenics and outdoor exercise had shown him how fitness spaces could bring people together whose paths might not otherwise cross.
The 32-year-old software engineer said he had exercised with men a decade younger than him, including some who were unsure about university, or dealing with youth unemployment, and others who had struggled to find work after leaving prison.
“I’m meeting people that I would never have come across and they’re meeting me, who they also would never have come across,” he said, adding that those relationships made him think about how he could “give back to my community and create opportunities I had that they might not ever have had”.
Luton’s Most Strongest, meanwhile, is taking signups for a free four-week programme for young people aged 14 to 18.
Owner Mabs Baig said the programme, which will start in September, will involve local businesspeople and companies introducing young people to different career paths alongside workshops and fitness training. Around 20 young people will take part.
“When I was young, there were youth clubs and a lot of activities going on. There was so much more of a support network and right now we’re lacking that massively,” said Baig, who already runs mentoring sessions with a local secondary school.
“If we can channel some sort of energy into these children… If they’re with the right people in the right environment, the right surroundings and crowds, that’s what they’ll be. Sports and fitness play a massive part in seeing a change in young people within our community. With a little bit of time and effort, we’re capable of doing it,” he added.
Ashraful believes encouraging what he calls “pro-social behaviour” is an important part of creating positive alternatives for young people.
“We want young men to be able to meet each other, smile, be like: ‘Hey, what’s up, my bro? What’s going on? How are you?’ and socialise,” he said. “We want to frame things positively for them as well.”
But he warned that individual community projects won’t be enough on their own to reduce violence, and called for a more rounded approach.
Luton Fitness Park is currently seeking support for its petition and has so far gained almost 1,400 signatures. If it receives more than 2,135 — a threshold of roughly 1% of Luton’s population — the proposal will be debated by councillors.
