Published Tuesday, 31st July 2012
Crucial Crew, organised by the Braintree District Council Community Safety Partnership, took place at Braintree College this July.
It saw almost (1700) Year Six pupils (aged 10 – 11) get to grips with the skills needed to stay safe as they grow up and become more independent.
Now in it’s nineteenth year, this regular summer fixture in the school calendar is essentially a “Know What to Do” health and safety guide for children, demonstrated through a series of fun and interactive presentations.
Councillor Wendy Schmitt, Cabinet Member for Place, said: “We know that the children really enjoy the event. There’s a serious point to the messages that are put across in a fun and creative way which is why Crucial Crew has become such a firm annual favorite.”
Representatives from Central Essex Community Service, DC Leisure, Essex County Council, Essex Police, Braintree District Council, Essex Ambulance Service, ALCOHELP, Braintree District Council Volunteers and the Essex Fire and Rescue Service brought topics to life in a range of workshops that covered issues such as fire safety, smoking, water safety, road safety, first aid, cyber bullying, littering, and alcohol awareness.
In one workshop run by ALCOHELP, pupils learnt about the effects of alcohol in a workshop.
Terry Martin from ALCOHELP: “Most children think that because alcohol is legal then it’s harmless. They ignore the dangers and serious consequences that can follow from drinking at a young age. We make it very clear that alcohol is a dangerous, highly addictive drug that must be treated with respect...that it is not cool nor clever for youngsters to drink.”
National figures suggest that over half (54%) of school age pupils who had drunk alcohol in the last four weeks said they had been drunk at least once during that time, of which 59% said they had deliberately tried to get drunk.
Crucial Crew is predominantly funded by the Community Safety Partnership (CSP) with schools contributing 60p per pupil.
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