Blog on the Frog: News from Leicester

The new academic year is now beginning to get really busy and not only with the usual Year 6 visits.  In terms of school bookings, we have getting on for 5000 children booked in for this year already and more local agencies and organisations are now beginning to use the facilities here at Warning Zone.

This month we are hosting Leicestershire Police’s Tasking Group Meeting, an Anti-Bullying Conference for local Special Schools, and in half term we have New Direction staff running an alcohol misuse session on behalf of Leicester City Youth Services followed by Leicestershire Youth Offending Service with one of their regular early intervention programmes.

Additionally at the end of the month Sure Start from Netherhall in the city are bringing 22 adults to gain knowledge of child safety.  This visit is a result of children coming to Warning Zone, going home and talking about issues their parents were unsure of.

Also this month we are holding a special evening screening of the new briefing film for the cast and those who provided locations such as David Wilson Homes, Plumbing Trade Supplies and the Great Central Railway.  The film itself is proving to be really useful in setting the scene for our Year 6 groups while being sufficiently hard edged to be used by the Youth Offending Service for their group work.

Finally, volunteer news.  Last month volunteer Ken Jones clocked up his 200th session at WZ and this month sees Hilary Parratt do likewise.  Both have been volunteering with us since our first year at Syston in 2006 so I think they’ve decided they like it here.  At the other end of the process we are just starting a training course for three new volunteers; good luck to them and I hope they enjoy their time at Warning Zone.