Education days 'helping to empower young people'

More than 1,000 young people in Jersey have benefited from a government initiative by learning about key community safety issues, scheme organisers say.

The Building a Safer Community (BASC) team, part of the Government of Jersey, said it was celebrating another successful year empowering Jersey's young people "to make informed choices to keep themselves and our community safe".

Year 8 children from 12 Jersey secondary schools learnt about community safety issues including substance use, fire safety, exploitation and keeping safe, organisers said.

They also got the chance to explore fire engines and meet people working for Jersey's front-line services.

Justice and BASC co-ordinator Cirsty de Gruchy Moseley said the sessions helped students understand more about child exploitation and the impacts of arson and the affect drugs could have on their future.

She added they also knew "where to go and who to contact for support".

The trainers team up with front-line workers, including the emergency services, customs and immigration, prison, probation and youth services for the event and aimed to make the sessions "as interactive as possible", bosses said.

Justice and Home Affairs Minister Helen Miles said: "I am happy to see the continued success of this important programme and am grateful for the support that agencies continue to give."

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