A month-long programme aimed at promoting a ‘Keep Safe’ message among almost 40 local schools will begin in March.
It is the third year that Unity Schools Partnership has organised special talks, workshops and classroom activities running throughout the trust schools in Suffolk, Norfolk and Essex.
This year’s activities include performances from Bigfoot Arts Education around knife crime awareness and sessions from Paul Hannaford who will deliver his hard-hitting talks to schools around his past addiction and crime problems.
Schools will come together next Friday 7th March to discuss how they can create a vision for a safer future while there will also be a Trust-wide Keep Safe logo competition running throughout the month.
Toni Kittle, Director of Education (Secondary) at Unity Schools Partnership, said: “Our Keep Safe month has become an important part of the trust calendar, designed at promoting the importance of keeping safe, both in school and in the community.
“We would like to thank everyone who is supporting our Keep Safe activities and we look forward to working with partners throughout this month – and beyond.”
This year’s event has been supported by the newly-formed Unity Schools Partnership Charitable Foundation, set up by the multi-academy trust to further enhance the lives of children attending Unity schools.
The aims of the USP Foundation are to support children who have greater educational need, face significant hardship which prevents them from succeeding at school and young people who otherwise would not be able to access the broader and deeper curriculum available at all our schools.
Through the charitable foundation, the Keep Safe month has received a grant from the Suffolk Police and Crime Commissioner’s Fund, which is managed by Suffolk Community Foundation. The money will go towards the additional cost of running sessions and workshops.
Tim Passmore, Police and Crime Commissioner for Suffolk, said: “I am delighted to award Unity Schools funding for their ambitious education programme across Suffolk.
“They are an organisation that strives to enhance life opportunities for every child, regardless of their starting point, and will provide vital awareness on exploitation and safety.
“I commend their practical approach to learning, using digital tools, art, and real-life experience to drive impactful change.”