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Portsmouth police help children make the most of the holidays

Press Releases

Published: 23/08/2010


This summer officers from the Paulsgrove Safer Neighbourhoods team (SNT) have been taking part in an educational activity for children in the area.

The Paulsgrove Community Centre in Marsden Road has been running its summer-long ‘Around the World’ learning activity for children and families of all ages.

Every Wednesday throughout the summer holidays, children from the local area and their families have attended the popular free event, which aims to teach them about different cultures, and gives them something fun to do throughout the summer.

PCSOs Clare Blake and Robert Manns of the Paulsgrove SNT have been attending each week helping children in their activities, and assisting them in learning more about different areas of the world.

PCSO Clare Blake of the Paulsgrove SNT said: “We were approached by the community centre manager Marie Adams, and asked if we would like to assist in the running of the event. As we work closely with the centre already, we were very keen to take part and help the children make the most of their summer holidays.

“There isn’t always a great deal of summer activities occurring during the holidays, and running events like this can keep younger people engaged, which in turn helps to prevent any possibilities of anti-social behaviour that may occur if no activities are available. This is the best way we can stop any negative behaviour occurring – by stopping it before it has even begun.”

The officers helped children throughout the day with a number of creative activities, including learning about instruments with Klavar Recordings at the centre, making outfits and accessories, and tasting foods that run in theme with the part of the world being looked at.

Marie Adams, who organised ‘Around the World’, said: “This has been extremely successful and beneficial both for our centre and for the community. We have been able to provide a stimulating and fun filled activity throughout the holidays for children and their families to partake in, at no cost to them. The PCSOs have been brilliant and their commitment to improving people’s holidays has been invaluable to our event.

“I would like to thank all of the volunteers who got involved, and also the Safer Portsmouth Partnership who kindly donated £8,000 towards paying for it all. We couldn’t have run this without them.”

The event will continue to run for the next two Wednesdays, and will finish on Saturday, September 4th with a free barbeque for everyone who attended.

Sergeant Sean Duffy of the Paulsgrove SNT said: “Local policing does not just involve patrolling the streets and catching offenders. We work to engage with all areas of the community, and build relationships which can help people to feel safer in the areas they live. This event has been really successful and has helped youngsters see the police in a different light, which will benefit us and them as they get older.”

If you would like to contact your local Safer Neighbourhoods team, please call 101 or visit the web page, www.hampshire.police.uk and click on ‘your local policing team.’


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