PCC visits Lifeskills and addresses Southmead community in Bristol
Last Thursday (18th July), PCC Clare Moody visited Lifeskills and spoke at BS10 (Southmead) Community Neighbourhood Forum in north Bristol.
Lifeskills is a Bristol based charity which provides interactive education for safe and independent living. The charity, based at the Create Centre in central Bristol works with young people, adults with learning difficulties and other vulnerable groups to help them to keep safe. Opened in January 2000, Lifeskills run real life scenario workshops for year six pupils in schools particularly from deprived areas of Avon and Somerset.
PCC Clare Moody had the opportunity to see some of the charity’s real-life scenarios, where visitors experience difficult or dangerous situations in a safe environment, learning how to deal with them.
Sam Jury, Partnership and Development Manager for Lifeskills, who gave the PCC a guided tour of the centre, said:
“Our aim is to secure low injury rates without compromising health or quality of life. We know that experimenting and risk-taking are an important part of growing up and everyday life. Lifeskills gives people the skills and confidence to make their own choices and encourages them to live full, independent lives.”
From Lifeskills, PCC Clare Moody then attended the BS10 (Southmead) Neighbourhood Forum held at the Greenway Centre in Southmead, where she was a guest speaker. Cllr Kye Dudd and Cllr Mark Weston invited Clare to talk about her role as PCC and the Police and Crime Plan.
Before introducing herself, Clare acknowledged that she understands some people are unaware of the role of the Police and Crime Commissioner. Clare told the meeting the government brought the PCCs into effect in 2012. And that the idea was to make policing governance more accountable and transparent by having an elected official accountable to the people, voted into office. She is responsible for the area of Avon and Somerset which includes five local authorities: Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset, South Gloucestershire, North Somerset and Somerset. Clare said, “My role is to be the voice of local people in policing.”
Clare ended her address by telling the gathering her office is currently working on a draft Police and Crime Plan which will go out for consultation from August 12 until the end of October. Key priorities will include strengthening neighbourhood policing, reducing violent crime, preventing crime, supporting victims of crime and improving the standards the of policing.