Crucial crew is a national scheme and has been run in Ipswich by the council's community safety team since 1994. It is delivered to 10 and 11 year olds from across Ipswich and runs for a fortnight in June every year.
Programme aims
The aim of the event is to provide a fun and stimulating environment for children to learn to:
- become more aware their personal safety;
- learn how to react correctly to dangerous and threatening situations;
- understand the role the emergency support services play and how and when to contact them;
- be aware of their own actions and the safety of others.
Every child visits scenarios where they are taught valuable safety messages. The scenarios are run by a diverse range of highly skilled people such as the Suffolk Police, Suffolk Fire and Rescue, Volunteering Matters, Turning Point and Lighthouse Women’s Aid with the support of volunteers including The Rotary Club of Ipswich Wolsey.
Key safety topics
The sessions tackle issues of personal safety such as:
- Fire safety
- Gang exploitation and county lines
- Healthy relationships
- Internet safety, hate crime and anti-social behaviour
- Substance misuse
Impact and feedback
Over 43,500 children have attended the Ipswich crucial crew since it started in 1994. Each year we receive more and more positive feedback from schools!