A group of University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) students held a talk with year 1 and 2 pupils at St Mary’s Roman Catholic Primary School in Langho, Ribble Valley on Wednesday 25th November to help children to think about and develop their resilience and make positive decisions.
‘Captain Calm’, a story written by 6 year old Charlie Mooney to appeal to children of a similar age, tells of how a young boy donned a badge which gave him super hero powers to recognise feelings such as anger or sadness and think before acting to help him to make positive decisions. Captain Calm uses these superpowers to help other children to make positive decisions that make them feel happy too.
This is the first activity taken by UCLan policing students as part of a joint initiative with Lancashire Violence Reduction Network (LVRN), a multi-agency team working to reduce and prevent violent crime. The partnership will offer students on UCLan’s BSc Professional Policing degree programme the opportunity to volunteer to support projects in communities across Lancashire.
UCLan volunteers will build on their understanding of the root causes of violence and become role models to those they meet while supporting Lancashire Violence Reduction Network funded projects. Projects are expected to include delivering violence prevention messages to young people within colleges and schools and supporting community outreach work.
Chief Inspector Steve Anderton of Lancashire Violence Reduction Network said:
“The people we meet in life can have a huge influence on the choices we make and ultimately where we end up. The UCLan LVRN volunteers will become positive role models for the young people they meet and inspire them to make considered choices that keep them safe from violence and crime.
“As the police officers of the future, this partnership will help students to gain vital experience in building relationships with individuals from different backgrounds and understanding the root causes of violence. We are delighted to be working together with UCLan to support Lancashire communities.”
Course Leader, Vicky Mooney of University of Central Lancashire added:
“This unique partnership offers the Professional Policing students an opportunity to enhance employability skills, whilst providing a valuable contribution to their community. The volunteering scheme now builds upon the excellent work that the LVRN has already undertaken, by endeavouring to extend its reach to reduce and prevent violent crime.
“Our philosophy is to educate the police officers of the future in their understanding of reasons ‘why’ people are involved in crime and ‘how’ best to respond. We are grateful to the Lancashire schools, colleges and community groups who are supporting this initiative and for having the foresight to do so.”
Clive Grunshaw, Lancashire’s Police and Crime Commissioner said:
“To tackle violent crime we need to work together across Lancashire, especially in when it comes to prevention and helping people make informed choices.
“This opportunity for Professional Policing students at UCLan to get involved in the work of the Violence Reduction Network and engage with young people is great for everyone involved and highlights that building strong, confident communities is a vital piece of the puzzle when it comes to tackling the causes of crime.”
