It has been a fantastic school year working with the amazing children and young people from Ferryhill, writes Glenys Newby.
We started the year focusing on litter, raising awareness, taking part in lots of litter picks and developing the Ferryhill The Right Thing project with Livin. This project will run for a year and see 12 young people litter pick every month, gain valuable employability skills and experience and earn their first wage packet.
Thank you to this year’s thirty Ambassadors for Community Change and Ferryhill School Leaders, who worked so hard to bring about positive meaningful change in their community by talking to and working with local and national decision makers. They took part in multi-agency walkabouts, tidied up and looked after Ferryhill Town’s notice boards, kept the dog poo bag dispensers topped up, took part in community speed watch with Val Watson and the police, invited Angela from Barclays Digital Eagles into schools to show pupils how they can keep themselves safe online and how to look after their money.
They welcomed Suzi from Dogs Trust who ran workshops to teach all pupils how to keep safe around dogs and they arranged for Jo from Human Kind Charity to talk to year 5 and 6 pupils about vaping, energy drinks and the effects of drinking alcohol on the body, on family and friends and on the community.
We also worked with Ferryhill Town Council on their Wellbeing Survey and encouraged as many residents, young and old to complete it. A big challenge this year was to develop the Crime Prevention work we started with Durham’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Joy Allen. Using the Ambassador’s Ferryhill Crime Survey results, they helped develop her Commissioner’s Challenge which saw 140 pupils carry out crime prevention activities to help keep their family, friends and neighbours stay safe, make their streets safer and gain tips on how to keep themselves happy and safe. Thanks to all the Safer Streets Team for all your help and support too and for the wonderful celebration event at Police HQ.
The Ambassadors continued meeting with Paul Howell MP and took the opportunity to raise concerns, say thank you to the people who look after older residents and show Paul what it’s like to live and grow up in Ferryhill. This culminated in a fantastic once-in-a-lifetime trip to meet with Paul down in Westminster and see first hand the seat of British democracy.
This summer, we will continue working with children, young people and their families with the fabulous Sc.outed Bush Craft Skills and Adventure Holiday Clubs, funded by the 4 Together Area Action Partnership.
I would just like to say a big thank you to all the people in our wonderful community who support the children and young people and give them the opportunities to make a real difference. Many thanks to Ferryhill Town Council and Councillors, Livin, Durham County Council Civic Pride and Neighbourhood Wardens, Ferryhill Neighbourhood Police, Ferryhill Fruit and Veg, Val Watson, Chris Orton, Stuart ‘Rupert Bear’ Trotter and obviously the Ferryhill and Chilton Chapter. A special thank you to both Paul Howell MP and Joy Allen DPCC for their amazing encouragement and support, it really is appreciated.
We are now really looking forward to September and seeing what adventures are around the corner for us all.
Ferryhill & Chilton's local community newspaper.
