Pathfinders

Each year, police officers work with our year 6 children for a week conducting workshops focusing on the consequences of crime and providing them with an informed choice on their own life direction, positive relationships, grooming and peer pressure.

As part of the project, the CELLS Team (Choices Education Lifelong Learning Skills) deliver positive decision making and crime prevention education The charity is made up of staff and volunteers who come from a variety of backgrounds. Some have been in prison, had difficult upbringings or suffered abuse and now use their experiences to help others.

One of the workshops which the CELLS Project held took place at Beechwood Little Centre and over 30 children aged between 7-12 attended. The children got to see a replica prison cell up close and experience how limited the space really is.

At the end of the week the officers recap the learning and test the children's knowledge via a fun and interactive game called Path Finders Pursuit, topics discussed, anti-social behaviour, knife crime, cybercrime, drugs, county lines, child exploitation, first aid, mental health, gang culture, grooming, prison life & hate crime amongst many others.

After all of their hard work during week the children are rewarded with a fun-filled afternoon of holding and learning all about different reptiles in an attempt to bring the pupils out of their comfort zones and build their self-confidence. The reptiles were provided by the wonderful staff from the Gautby Road Community Centre in the North End of Birkenhead.