Community Champions Award for WCRP 2023
Community Champions Award for WCRP 2023
WCRP is delighted to receive an award from WMR for our work to keep young people safe in Worcestershire. Our film ‘Which side of the Tracks’ has inspired partners to create a range of resources to help schools, train operators and youth workers prevent children being exploited by criminal gangs.
WCRP took part in a Safer Communities Day at Christopher Whitehead Language College and Sixth Form earlier this year where the film was shown to 250 pupils followed by discussion on the main themes. Platform, our rail education scheme, also offer classroom based activities on their website here platformrail.org/resources/which-side-of-the-tracks.
WCRP Vice Chair, Colin Major said “I am delighted that this collaborative work between the West Midlands Safer Travel Team, West Mercia Police and West Midlands Railway lead by our WCRP Partnership Officer Fiona Saxon has been recognised. The video is available to anyone who can alert young people to the dangers of County Lines and to assure them that help is available.”
Known as ‘County Lines’, gangs and organised criminal networks move illegal drugs and weapons from one area to another using dedicated mobile phones lines.
They groom children and vulnerable adults to assist them with this by using coercion, intimidation, and violence.
The video has been developed in partnership with Worcester Cathedral, Platform, the Clewer Initiative, Mothers’ Union and Worcestershire Community Rail Partnership (WCRP).