Last week, Wear Valley Community Action Group and partners held a Safer Places In The Community event at Auckland Youth Community Centre (AYCC), writes Lesley Mellis.
The event was free with many activities and attractions including the ambulance service, who demonstrated CPR, a police car, climbing wall, How to Stay Safe presentations, face painting and more.
Funding from Bishop Auckland Town Council and Gaunless Gateway Big Local helped host the event.
We also received vital funding from believe housing to hold an Easter event this year in West Auckland.
The group has worked with partners from AYCC, who provided the climbing wall and free lunch as well as the venue.
The Auckland Project and Wellbeing For Life also attended to do crafts and make solar powered battery operated T Lights with the children.
Vice Chair of Durham County Council, Cllr Particia Jopling visited to cut the ribbon and open the event. She said: ”This event is excellent. The group should be very proud of themselves to provide an event like this to the community. The community are very lucky to have a building and space like this to come and enjoy. There should be more of them.”
There were also some great comments from the public. One lady said: “It’s the first time I’ve been asked about how I feel about different things affecting me. I’m happy to share my thoughts now.”
Another said: “It was an excellent event. Children have been entertained for free and had lunch. I thoroughly enjoyed it and can’t wait for something else to happen.”
The information stands also went down well with people talking to services, receiving goody bags, and getting some much need help or being signposted to other services that can help them.
The Gaunless Gateway Big Local provided £20 vouchers for prizes for the poster competition with the winning children thrilled. One little girl has used hers to go the cinema as a treat.
Overall 177 children and 148 adults attended the event, with 71 adults managing around 35 information stands.
Some visitors had travelled from Darlington, Crook, Roddymoor, Billy Row and Durham, demonstrating the great need for such community events.
If anyone has photos or comments to post about the event, they can do this on the group’s Facebook page. All posts help us provide events that communities want to attend, and also helps with future funding applications.
The next steps will be to evaluate the feedback received from the event and plan another in early 2025 to take forward the actions from this on. No matter how small, we need to listen to our communities.
There are Halloween parties being organised in the coming months at West Auckland Memorial Hall, on Saturday 26 October and at AYCC on Thursday 31st. All information will be on our Facebook page in the next few weeks.
The group would like to thank everyone who got involved, and a particular huge thank you to all those from the communities, wherever they travelled from, for attending. We look forward to seeing everyone again in the future.
Bishop Auckland's local community newspaper.
