Release date: 18/03/2010
By: Wendy Phillips
Telephone
020 8871 8902
or email wphillips@wandsworth.gov.uk
Scheme keeps youngsters safe
Wandsworth schoolchildren have been learning how to keep out of danger at the council’s popular Junior Citizen scheme.
The sessions are aimed at nine and ten-year-olds and are offered to every school in Wandsworth.
The scheme was among the first to be set up in London 20 years ago and has provided training to more than 30,000 youngsters over past two decades on how to stay safe and avoid dangerous situations in everyday life.
Children act out 12 different scenarios, giving them a chance to safely learn what to do in each. The scenarios are fire, home, water, roads, rail safety, personal safety, strangers in the street, health, dangerous substances, first aid, citizenship and graffiti.
This includes some of the tough issues young people today have to face, including being mugged, how to tackle bullying and dangers from drugs, alcohol and tobacco.
The two-week course is held twice a year in the spring and the summer. The most recent course was held at the Atheldene Centre in Garratt Lane and was attended by more than a thousand year 5 children.
The different scenarios were carried out by officers from the fire brigade, the police and the ambulance service, plus school nurses, victim support, a rail safety officer, council officers and students from the Public Service course at South Thames College.
South Thames College student Tatiana Martins said helping out of the course was a chance to learn what working for the emergency services was really like: “It has taught me how to act professionally, helped my timekeeping and I now understand how the emergency services respond to situations.”
Wandsworth’s Junior Citizen is one of only a handful throughout the UK to be officially accredited by RoSPA - The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents – in recognition of its good work in keeping the borough's children safe
The scheme is run by the council's community safety unit in partnership with other council departments, the Metropolitan Police, London Fire Brigade, London Ambulance Service, victim support and South West Trains.
Several visitors went along to see how the scheme operates in Wandsworth, including representatives from other councils and the assistant director of the Child Safety Unit in the Department of Children, Schools and Families.
Chairman of Junior Citizen, Cllr Angela Graham, said: "Junior citizen has helped thousands of children learn how to deal with danger. Hopefully they will never need to put into practice what they learn in these sessions, but if they do these simple, easy-to-understand lessons will stand them in good stead.
"As well helping to keep youngsters safe, Junior Citizen also helps teach children how to be a valued member of their community, a good citizen and a good neighbour.”
Cabinet member for regeneration and community safety, Cllr James Cousins, said: “I am very proud of this scheme because it makes a real difference and has undoubtedly saved a few lives in the 20 years it has been running.”
For more information about the scheme visit www.wandsworth.gov.uk/juniorcitizen
or call Sue Yoxall on (020) 8871 6603.
The pictures show young people from Our Lady Queen of Heaven school learning how to avoid fires in the home.
Ends
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