Youngsters from Conwy have taken part in the first North Wales Fire and Rescue Service’s innovative Phoenix course, which has been run in conjunction with North Wales Police.
The Phoenix project is a course designed to assist in redirecting the energy of youngsters towards productive and worthwhile activities that will assist in the integration of the individuals with their peers and their communities.
12 youngsters from across Conwy took part in the sessions which are designed to enhance skills such as team work and communication whilst helping the youngsters to gain self confidence.
The course was held at Abergele Fire Station.
During the week the students were given the opportunity to see the work carried out by North Wales Fire and Rescue Service and were allowed to take part in drills.
In addition, various other outdoor activities were arranged as well as a visit to the control room to see how emergency calls are received and appliances mobilised.
Stuart Jones, Phoenix Coordinator, said: “I am glad to say that this has been another great success for this exciting project. The aim of the course is to assist the youngsters in becoming more motivated and positive about themselves, which in turn has the effect of making them better citizens.
“We are hoping that these children will feel that they have gained something positive from the Phoenix project and feel that it will be of benefit to them in the future.”
The youngsters from the Abergele, Towyn, Kinmel Bay and Llysfaen areas had all come to the attention of the police in some way or another and were nominated to take part in the course.
Superintendent Steve Gould said: “This is the first course North Wales Police have been involved with and I have been hugely impressed by the teamwork. This does not happen over night, it’s down to a lot of hard work and effort, which will hopefully prove to be an investment in the relationship between the police and the young people of the area.”
The partnership came about when Abergele based Sergeant Helen Madeley put in a bid to nominate children with behavioural problems, low self-esteem and confidence issues.
Pointing out that a Police Community Support Officer took part each day throughout the week long course, she said: “This has been a brilliant opportunity for us to engage with the local youth. I am so proud of what everyone has achieved. We will definitely support the course in the future.”
The picture shows youngsters on the course with their instructors, North Wales Police Officers and Colin Hanks, Assistant Chief Fire Officer and councillor Sharon Frobisher who presented them with their certificates.
