Junior Citizen 2012

Fun Filled sessions help to deliver serious safety messages

Around 1000, 10 and 11 year olds from across Woking Borough learned some important lessons about personal safety, thanks to the annual Junior Citizen Scheme which took place at Woking Football Club during March 2012.

Organised by members of the Safer Woking Partnership, with assistance from other agencies, including Surrey Police, Surrey Fire and Rescue Service, UK Power Networks and Woking Borough Council, the three week long educational safety scheme showed the children how to stay safe in everyday situations.

By breaking down the two hour sessions into fun, interactive 'sets', the participating organisations helped the children to develop their skills in managing risk and making decisions about important day-to-day scenarios. Apart from the cost of travelling to the venue, the scheme is free of charge to all the schools that take part, thanks to the generous support of the agencies involved.

This year's scheme focused on topics including stranger danger, fire safety, advice around 999 and hoax calls, being a good neighbour, water safety, anti-social behaviour, internet safety and electricity safety.

During the interactive workshops, which lasted 10 minutes each, the groups took part in role plays, question and answer sessions and demonstrations of best practice. Afterwards workbooks reinforcing the messages learned were delivered to the schools for the children to use.

For the second year running, the Junior Citizen scheme received significiant support in providing workbooks for the young people that attended. This will enable the children to work through some of the different situations they may encounter in the future. The Safer Woking Partnership worked with the Children's Safety Education Foundation to find sponsorship from a local company, Allianz and from Surrey County Council's Local Committee.

The workbooks are designed for the young people to use either at home or at school to help develop their skills, abilities and attitudes both from a personal and practical view, on a wide range of community safety issues.

Following last year's Junior Citizen a survey conducted with the participating schools revealed that 79% rated the event very good or excellent overall.

If you would like further information, try clicking on the links to these websites:

• For information about electricity and keeping safe for 7 - 14 year olds, teachers and parents http://powerup.ukpowernetworks.co.uk/
• Click on this link to learn more about fire prevention and test your knowledge with one of the games.
  Surrey Fire and Rescue - Fire Safety at home and in the community
• Teach children how to be aware of strangers and how to keep themselves safe from harm by visiting http://www.kidscape.org.uk/info/index.asp
• To find out how children can stay safe when using the internet, visit Childnet International or Thinkuknow for information, resources and games.
• Find out more about your local environment, including waste and recycling by visiting Woking Borough Council - your environment
• Learn to stay safe around water by visiting the RNLI webpages by clicking on Shorething!, to view general advice and information, games, activities and lesson plans for teachers.
• Visit Trackoff to find advice about raising awareness amoung young people of the dangers and consequences of anti-social behaviour and playing on the railway.
• For more information, please contact Shelly Mann, at Woking Borough Council Community Safety Team, on 01483 743461, or email shelly.mann@woking.gov.uk