Young people from Flintshire, who work as peer educators, have been awarded for their achievements and success at a recent Celebrations Evening at the Plas Hafod Hotel in Mold.
Around fifty young people from high schools across the county received certificates of achievement from the Flintshire Young People’s Drug and Alcohol Team (YPDAT) and the Flintshire Local Voluntary Council, who funded the evening.
Peer educators are in years 10, 11 and sixth form, and, after four days training, they work as volunteers providing information to children between the ages of 11 and 13 on issues like smoking, the law, relationships and self esteem, as well as drug, alcohol and solvent awareness.
The evening was also attended by Flintshire County Council’s Head of Service for Children’s Services and the Youth Justice Service, Carol Salmon; Councillor Carol Ellis, Executive Member for Social Services; and the Council’s Head of Schools Services, Elwyn Davies.
Elwyn Davies said:
“All these young people are a credit to themselves. This scheme is something that Flintshire should be very proud of.”
Gaynor Jones, a teacher at Richard Gwyn, said:
“Peer educators play a significant role in the delivery of Year 7 Personal Social Education (PSE) sessions and Health days. They are able to relate to their younger peers in a way that teaching staff cannot. Younger pupils benefit not only from the information given, but also from the positive role models of the peer educators themselves.”
The peer educators scheme is supported by nine high schools in the county at: Argoed, Bryn Tirion, Castell Alun, Connah’s Quay, Flint, Hawarden, Holywell, John Summers, and Richard Gwyn. Teachers from St David’s and Mold Alun schools, who don’t current have peer educators, also attended the evening.
