Police Authority Funding For Whitchurch Area Schools

Prizes are up for grabs for schoolchildren who attended the police organised North Shropshire Safety Scene earlier this year.

Hundreds of Year 5 and 6 pupils from across the area visited the annual safety awareness week, held this year at RAF Shawbury.

Now thanks to a donation from the West Mercia Police community safety fund, gift vouchers will be presented to competition winners for the best follow-up class work at five junior schools in the Whitchurch area.

Local Community Support Officer Tim Meredith applied for a grant of £100 to enable him to present vouchers to 10 lucky pupils.

He said: "For the past three years, the Local Policing Team has visited schools following the Safety Scene week to encourage continued learning and safety awareness.

"The children are given work books to complete and I help them work through these during my visits.  We then hold a competition for the best completed work book followed by a second part to the competition where they create a poster, book, poem, story or video about what they learnt from the safety event."

Each of the winners in the two categories received a £10 gift voucher with the winning designs going on display in Whitchurch library.

CSO Meredith said: "The feedback from teachers has always been positive and the children look forward to and enjoy our visits as they like to showcase their knowledge."

He added that without the Police Authority donation there would have been no funding this year to supply gift token prizes.  The Local Policing Team will be viewing the completed work books ready for judging taking place from next Monday (Nov 21).

The schools involved are Prees, Tilstock, Lower Heath, Whixall and The White House.

Issued: Tuesday, 15 November 2011