Bulls to Support School Workshops

Hereford United's Football in the Community squad are to be involved with a fortnight of workshops, games and lessons with a safety theme at Hereford Racecourse.

More than 1800 ten and eleven year olds from 74 primary schools are expected at the event which is organised this year by Herefordshire Council’s healthy schools team in partnership with the police, red cross, fire service, heartstart, school nursing service, trading standards and Herefordshire Housing, amongst others.

As children prepare to embark on their secondary education, the event prepares them for some of the issues they may face over the next few years as they grow from being children to young people. For example, alcohol and drug awareness, road safety, personal safety, valuing difference and diversity and danger in the home, are just some of the sessions they will attend.

Running from Tuesday 8th June to Friday 18th, sessions take place from 9.30am-2.30pm every day with an hour for lunch. This year’s event will include lots of lunchtime activities in the spirit of Change4Life, the national programme which aims to get people eating better, moving more and living longer. Hereford United will be there with their football in the community squad, Halo Leisure is bringing dance mats and the Whitecross gym bus will be available for children and staff to work out on. For those who fancy something a bit different, cheering leading sessions are being organised.

Partner organisations will have exhibitions up providing information and lots of freebies for children and staff to collect.

To prepare for the event, the council’s healthy schools team will be getting curriculum packs out to schools with suggested activities and discussion topics leading up the event.

Councillor Jenny Hyde, cabinet member for children’s services, said: “This is a big partnership activity bringing organisations together to provide an exciting fortnight for the county’s year six children.

“The Crucial Crew event is a great way of getting across some key messages in a fun way – children are encouraged to participate in discussions and debates, ask questions and understand some of the pressures they may face over the next few years.

“We want all our children to grow into self confident individuals who will be able to make well informed decisions for themselves, but know where to go to if they need help.”

The event takes place over a fortnight in order to accommodate all those wishing to attend, although each pupil will spend one day there.

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