The Royal Borough of Greenwich’s Junior Citizenship Programme has taught 1,800 local children about road safety, hate crime, first aid and the dangers of grooming and exploitation.
Over two weeks, 1,800 children in Year 6 across 45 Greenwich schools attended safety workshops on a range of important topics to prepare them for their transition into secondary school in September.
The workshops which ran from 15 to 26 June at Sutcliffe Park Sports Centre in Eltham and Hawksmoor Youth Hub in Thamesmead, were led by subject experts from the council, Metropolitan Police, London Fire Brigade, London Ambulance Service, Marlborough Highways, Veolia and Transport for London. Each group attended seven workshops which covered road, bus and tube safety, fire safety, grooming and exploitation, first aid, hate crime and trading standards.
Councillor Joshua Ayodele, Cabinet Member for Community Safety & Integrated Enforcement, said: “Our annual Junior Citizenship programme plays a vital role in preparing primary school pupils for the next stage of their education while giving them the knowledge and confidence to recognise and respond to the risks they may encounter as they become more independent. Keeping children safe is at the heart of this programme.
“By working closely with our partner agencies and key local services, we have delivered a borough-wide initiative that equips pupils with practical life skills, raises awareness of potential dangers within their communities, and empowers them to make safe, informed decisions. Together, we are committed to making Greenwich a safer place for every child as they transition to secondary school and beyond.”
Children were taught how to look out for signs of grooming and who to tell if they ever experience it, emphasising the importance of reaching out to a trusted adult. Signs of grooming included receiving expensive gifts and being asked to deliver unknown bags or items somewhere. The workshop also covered the consequences of knife crime.
The students also learnt about what a hate crime is, how it might make someone feel and who to tell if they saw one happening.
The Trading Standards workshop emphasised the importance of being careful when shopping online and looking out for counterfeit clothing and toys. The group had a chance to take a look at ‘fake’ branded clothing to see if they could spot the difference.
To find out more about activities and wellbeing services for young people in the borough, visit Young Greenwich Youth Services.