The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Children reel in the praise for short films
Positive choices initiative will provide a firm base of knowledge for youngsters
The credits have rolled in for a group of Kirriemuir youngsters at a celebration of a project encouraging local children to make positive choices that will benefit both them and the community.
The Kirrie Town Hall event hosted a series of short films that have been created as part of the innovative scheme spearheaded by local police officers and DD8 Music, capping another milestone week for the community group after a five-figure funding boost announcement.
Primary 7 children from Northmuir and Southmuir primaries were involved in the alcohol and drugs awareness project, developed as a means of combating a spike in anti-social behaviour involving some children in the important transitional age group heading toward secondary school.
A successful funding bid for cash from the national Choices for Life programme allowed the programme to be developed for the current Kirrie crop of P7 youngsters who are about to head into the holidays before the step up to secondary.
Tayside Council on Alcohol delivered
All going well, if young people understand better the risks of substance and alcohol misuse and the effect it can have on their behaviour, they will make better decisions
the first phase of sessions on drug and alcohol awareness, peer pressure and the consequences of making poor decisions.
The youngsters then put together nine short films with the help of DD8 Music, Schedule D Productions, community police officer Paul Morgan and his colleagues, and the finished movies were shown to the appreciative Town hall audience.
PC Morgan said: “Our hope is that by giving the youngsters a firm base of knowledge and education about substance /alcohol misuse at an early stage, and prior to their teenage years, they will be better equipped to deal with the challenges and pressures they will face when they reach that crucial period of their lives.
“On top of that, by holding a family-based event at the end of the programme we hope this will help to raise parental awareness of the issues affecting our teenagers today, which in turn will empower parents and make them feel better able to offer informed help and support when needed.
“All going well, if young people understand better the risks of substance and alcohol misuse and the effect it can have on their behaviour, they will make better decisions, which will lead to a reduction in anti-social behaviour and a healthier lifestyle choices,” he added.
Earlier this week, DD8 Music received a £50,000 Young Start lottery funding boost, which the group has said will allow the continued development of a range of initiatives for the area’s young people.