News Articles from 2006
Junior Citizen Scheme helps 1300 primary school pupils prepare for the future
Over 1300 pupils from across the Royal Borough have this year attended the Junior Citizen Scheme, hosted by Chessington World of Adventures. The initiative, which aims to ease the transition for pupils from primary to secondary school, was attended this year by the Mayor, Cllr Yogan Yoganathan.
The scheme hosted over two weeks by Chessington World of Adventures targeted 10 and 11 year olds in the Royal Borough. Joint funded by the multi agencies in attendance and led by Kingston Council’s Learning and Children’s Services its purpose is to equip youngsters with the knowledge and skills they need to cope with adult everyday life, especially when it comes to dealing with potential emergencies.
During the fortnight long campaign, members of local organisations presented the children with potential emergency scenarios. These involved issues such as stranger-danger, fire safety, first aid, drug awareness, road, bus and rail travel, electricity dangers, water safety and graffiti.
Activities included:
- ·Kingston Police demonstrated a stranger danger re-enactment to emphasise the problems of stranger danger.
- ·The Fire Brigade had a ‘Hazard House’ with items and scenarios demonstrating fire hazards in the home. Pupils were given advice on home fire safety and the correct way to call the emergency services.
- ·Nurses from Kingston Primary Care Trust demonstrated first aid.
- ·London Buses used a bus to demonstrate different safety aspects.
- ·Kingston Council’s Road Safety team demonstrated road safety.
- ·The dangers of electricity in and outside the home were highlighted in a demonstration from utility company EDF Energy.
- ·Kingston Council’s Drug Action Team taught drug awareness and effects.
- ·South West Trains warned of the potentially lethal consequences of playing on platforms and near railway lines.
- ·The Council’s Borough Rangers and the Borough Graffiti Officer provided a short presentation on the effects of graffiti and the dangers of solvent misuse.
- ·The Port of London Authority taught river safety via a mock up of the river bed and a coastal precinct.