Higham Lane School delivers Prison Me No Way (PMNW) workshop via successful Community Safety Funding application
During 2022/2023, Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council opened applications for the Community Safety Grant Scheme.
The scheme aimed to support local community organisations, voluntary groups and community projects fund projects to help improve community safety within the Borough. Applicants could apply for grants of up to £5000 and priorities included Serious Violence, Domestic Abuse/Violence, Anti-Social Behaviour and Hate crime.
To address Serious Violence and Anti-Social Behaviour, Higham Lane School in Nuneaton submitted an application for £2500, that was successfully granted. This allowed PMNW (Prison Me No Way) to visit the school and provide several workshops targeting their year nine students.
PMNW provide real-life learning experiences for children and young people between the ages of 8 to 18, to help reduce risky behaviour and prevent them from becoming involved in crime. Alongside PMNW included Warwickshire Police’s Youth Engagement Team and Warwickshire Fire & Rescue Services.
The eye-opening and transformative day hosted on Friday, 21 June 2024 was enlightening and transforming as it revealed the terrible reality of life behind bars. The occasion attempted to develop empathy, understanding, and a sense of responsibility in addition to teaching children about the repercussions of criminal activity.
Year nine students were able to interact with a person who served a jail sentence for drug offences, giving them the chance to hear firsthand stories of their experiences. Crucial subjects included drug awareness, exploitation, and the risks connected to county lines were also highlighted in the workshops.
Additionally, the Red Cross provided the students with basic first aid training and Warwickshire Police provided the pupils with a virtual reality tour of the Leamington Police Station's custody suite and allowed them to watch a re-enacted arrest take place before their eyes. The workshops included:
Drug Awareness and County Lines
The important topic of drug awareness and the risks connected to county lines were also covered during the day. Students received knowledge about the strategies employed by drug dealers to take advantage of vulnerable people, especially children.
Students gained knowledge about the hazards and repercussions of engaging in drug-related activities, as well as the effects on society and acquired information and the skills necessary to withstand such pressures and make wise decisions by being aware of these risks.
Prison Life and Prison Cell Experience
Giving students an insight into the realities of prison life was the goal of one of the team's workshops. The students developed a deeper awareness of the repercussions of criminal activity and the difficulties that people in the criminal justice system confront through engaging in interactive discussions and activities.
They had the opportunity to consider the significance of making wise decisions and refraining from acts that can result in detention through the use of a mock prison cell.
Choices Led by an Ex-Offender
Another course given by an ex-offender was called "Choices." The goal of this session was to provide the kids a personal understanding of the significance of making responsible decisions and the effects those decisions have on their own lives and the larger community.
The inmates inspired the children to reflect critically on their choices and weigh any possible repercussions by sharing their own experiences.
Statement from Higham Lane School:
“Having been given the opportunity to deliver the fantastic Prison Me No Way, we are delighted at the feedback from students and staff at the school.
“The hard hitting anti-social behavior topics teamed with the safeguarding messages the Trust provides are second to none in our opinion and so relevant for our students in our local community and beyond.
“Without the funding provided by the Community Safety Grant Scheme our students wouldn’t have been able to accumulate the messages given by this team of professionals which are vital in them becoming well rounded citizens in an ever-changing society.
“The impact of this day will stay with our students, even beyond their school years.”