Over 1,000 Year 6 children (10 to 11 year olds) from local primary schools across Epsom & Ewell and Mole Valley boroughs are taking part in a series of interactive safety workshops.
This week, the event saw a special visit by Cllr George Crawford QPM and Mrs Jackie Hennings, the Deputy Mayor and Mayoress of Epsom & Ewell Borough Council; Cllr Margaret Cooksey, Chairman of Mole Valley Council, and Jeff Harris, Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner for Surrey.
Coordinated by Child Safety Media and funded by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, ‘Junior Citizen’ is designed to help children develop safety awareness in a dynamic and interesting way.
Aimed at children who are about to leave primary school, the programme involves a series of hands-on workshops, delivered by professionals from agencies such as the police, fire brigade, ambulance service and other safety organisations.
During an interactive, practical two-hour visit, children will learn to recognise key dangers and understand how to reduce risk to themselves and others on crucial issues such as personal safety, fire safety, water safety, dog safety, first aid and internet safety.
The sessions give pupils the unique opportunity to learn valuable skills from the professionals, through practical demonstrations, hands-on activities and discussions in real-life situations.
Organisations taking part include Surrey Police, Surrey Fire and Rescue Service, St John Ambulance, RNLI, Blue Cross for Pets and Cyber Champions.
Dan Boneham, director at Child Safety Media says: “Junior Citizen is about getting young people involved in issues that directly affect them, in a practical and exciting way.
The sessions are designed to appeal to all children and importantly, to engage those who find formal education more difficult. Rather than learning a set of rigid rules, children are instead challenged to think for themselves and develop skills, which they can apply in different life scenarios.”
Junior Citizen takes place from Monday 7th March until Friday 18th March 2016 at Epsom Downs Racecourse in Surrey.