The Armoured Heart: A Symbol of Hope, Strength and Positive Choice

Some projects are measured by their scale or complexity. The Armoured Heart is measured by something far more important: the lives it hopes to change.

Created as the centrepiece of Reading’s Amnesty Art project, the sculpture stands outside The Oracle as a permanent symbol of peace, resilience and hope. Developed in partnership with Reading Borough Council, Thames Valley Police, the Violence Reduction Unit, Starting Point Mentoring, Amanda and Stuart Stephens, The Oracle and many other community organisations, the project encourages conversation around knife crime while inspiring young people to make positive choices for their future.

A Design Shaped by Listening

The design did not begin with a sketch. It began with conversations.

Stuart Melrose worked closely with young people, community groups and, most importantly, Amanda and Stuart Stephens, whose son Olly tragically lost his life to knife crime in 2021. Rather than imposing a solution, the design developed through listening to what the sculpture needed to represent and the message it should carry for generations to come.

Olly’s love of dragons and his pet bearded dragon became an important source of inspiration. Looking closely at the protective scales of the bearded dragon and traditional dragon-scale armour, a powerful idea emerged: not armour designed for battle, but armour designed to protect the heart.

A Heart Protected by Armour

The heart is a universal symbol of love, compassion and humanity. Encasing it in protective armour transforms that familiar symbol into a reminder that people can protect themselves, their families, friends and communities from the pain caused by violence.

The sculpture’s layered stainless-steel scales represent strength through unity. Its flowing steel finial was made from knives surrendered during police amnesties across Reading and the wider Thames Valley. Objects once intended to cause harm have instead been transformed into a lasting symbol of hope and positive change.

The project also explored the idea of engraving the name of every person lost to knife crime locally onto individual scales of the heart, reflecting the shared wish that every victim should be remembered as part of the sculpture’s message.

A Community Landmark

Standing over two metres tall and manufactured from precision-cut stainless steel, The Armoured Heart was designed and made in Reading. While Stuart Melrose led the artistic vision, young people from Starting Point’s Young Voices project helped shape its final direction, ensuring it reflected their hopes for a safer future.

Alongside the physical sculpture, an educational outreach programme helps challenge knife culture, encourage discussion and provide opportunities to learn from those affected by violence. An augmented-reality experience also allows visitors to discover further layers of the story through their mobile phones.

The unveiling brought together Amanda and Stuart Stephens, community leaders, partner organisations and supporters. Representatives from the United Nations attended alongside television, radio and design media, with BBC News covering the launch. The sculpture has since become an important Reading landmark, encouraging conversation and reminding visitors that communities are strongest when they stand together.

A Personal Thank You

Stuart Melrose would like to express sincere thanks to Amanda and Stuart Stephens and their family.

Their courage, generosity and determination to create something positive from unimaginable loss shaped every stage of this project. Their trust, ideas and willingness to share Olly’s story made The Armoured Heart possible, and it was a privilege to work alongside them in creating a lasting symbol of hope for Reading.