Students take part in Young Citizens Challenge

Officers from North Worcestershire LPA have been empowering students in the annual Young Citizens Challenge (YCC) to build awareness of personal and community safety.

Organised by our Youth Engagement Team and partner agencies, it gives all Wyre Forest, Redditch, and Bromsgrove Year 6 students - approximately 2,300 in total - the opportunity to take part in various scenarios.

The challenges involved student participation around a series of interactive learning situations and included SEND pupils.

This year’s events have taken place at Wyre Forest Police and Fire Station this week and last week and Bromsgrove Police and Fire Station the week before half-term.

Partners represented included police, Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service (HWFRS), Severn Area Rescue Association, West Mercia Police Road Safety Team, and National Grid.

Our officers engaged with students over issues including online safety, knife crime and hate crime while our partners worked with them over matters such as substation safety, fire, and open water safety.

Police Constable Neil Sharpe, Youth Engagement Officer for North Worcestershire LPA, said: “This year’s event has been another successful one, empowering young people to make positive choices for their personal and community safety.

“Partners delivered key messages around anti-social behaviour, hate crime, stranger danger, and knife crime as well as fire, road, water, and electrical safety.

“It was a great opportunity for the Year 6 students to work as a team and explore situations in a safe and organised environment.”

JI, Corporate Communications