Programmes aim to cut knife crime

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The Kids Taskforce, a charity dedicated to educating young people on personal safety, recently received a cash boost from the London Mayor, Boris Johnson when he announced a helping hand for groups aiming to reduce gun and knife crime in the City. The Kids Taskforce, has also recently received support from Reliance Secure Task Management Ltd. The secure services company, impressed with the good work being carried out by the charity, has adopted them as their company charity.

Reliance Secure Task Management Ltd understand all too well the importance of security as they work with trusted partners in the criminal justice sector. The company will work closely with The Kids Taskforce to raise funds and enhance their profile; they have recently supported the Kids Taskforce first anniversary celebration at the House of Lords and have now sponsored the charity's new website www.thekidstaskforce.com . This new website will help extend awareness of the commendable work that the charity are doing.

The Kids Taskforce is a partnership between four organisations, ACPO (the Association of Chief Police Officers), CFOA (Chief Fire Officers Association) and PFA (Professional Footballers' Association) and the team that delivers the missdorothy.com and Watch Over Me education programmes. They are working together to set a common standard for safety education in schools throughout the UK. The missdorothy.com and Watch Over Me learning programmes are endorsed by Ed Balls, Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, and are the first independent personal safety resource to win government backing. The Kids Taskforce aims to get them to every child in the UK by 2010. The programmes are delivered by teachers in the classroom and supported by local police officers, fire officers and football coaches.

“We will be working closely with The Kids Taskforce, supporting and raising funds for them in what ever way we can over the coming year. Diverting children from a life of crime and warning them of danger is an important corporate social responsibility for us. We understand all too well the importance of security working as we do with trusted partners in the criminal justice sector. For that reason we fully support the work being done by the Kids Taskforce to educate young people and improve their safety and awareness of risk.” Said Simon Marshall the Operations Director for Reliance Secure Task Management Ltd.

“The Kids Taskforce aims to work with trusted business partners such as Reliance to achieve its goal of reaching every child in Britain by 2010. The funding announced by the Mayor will allow us to roll out the programmes across London, which is a huge step forward. Working in partnership with others is central to the aims of the Kids Taskforce and Reliance's help with our website and events has been invaluable”, said Sharon Doughty, Head of the Kids Taskforce.

END.

The Kids Taskforce

Officially started only a year ago, but based on over 5 years of experience of delivering their education programmes, The Kids Taskforce aims to teach 6 – 16 year olds the risks and dangers of life, improving child safety through a highly professional education programme delivered in schools through the national curriculum and teachers. Tackling issues such as Knife and gun Crime, lighting fires, personal safety and using sport as an alternative.

The Taskforce is a gateway for everyone involved with children to access the best support and advice on child safety. No one organisation fits all, but the Kids Taskforce points people in the right direction for relevant safety advice, sharing good practice, innovative ideas, recognising achievements, setting goals and supporting the Government’s initiate of ‘Every Child Matters’.

The Kids Taskforce has gained the backing of many major politicians including Ed Balls - Secretary State for Children, Schools and Families who has endorsed the Miss Dorothy.com programme and is encouraging its’ use in schools.

ACPO, CFOA and the PFA came together to support the Miss Dorothy.com teaching programme which offers a practical solution to child safety, providing high quality educational resources for schools, speaking to the children in their own language and at their own level. The missdorothy.com learning programme using cartoon characters and the Watch Over Me high quality, personal safety, soap operas for older children are a ‘pull together’ of many good practices across the country, all into one package which is easy for teachers to use.

Reliance Secure Task Management Ltd has already sponsored the Kids Taskforce first anniversary celebration at the Houses of Commons earlier this year and will now go on to support their annual awards in October.

For Further information on the Kids Taskforce

www.thekidstaskforce.com

Their website is sponsored by Reliance Secure Task Management Ltd.

Why was the Kids Taskforce created?
The Kids Taskforce was set up to support and add value to the government's Every Child Matters agenda, because "every child does matter".

Local authorities and many organisations across the country are trying very hard to help children and young people lead safer lives, but the Kids Taskforce was concerned that there was no consistent delivery of the most common safety messages in schools.
What does the Kids Taskforce do?
The Kids Taskforce offers a practical solution to child safety by providing a high quality education resource for schools which is paid for by the community and speaks to children and young people in their own language.

The missdorothy.com learning programme and Watch Over Me personal safety soap operas are a pull together of many good practices across the country all into one package which is easy for teachers to use.

The different mediums of cartoon characters for primary schools and soap operas for teenagers ensure that vital safety messages, which could save a child's life, are delivered in an engaging and consistent way and do actually reach every child. This creates one holistic approach to helping children learn how to manage risk, but still allow schools to use other packages which respond to local needs.

Who runs the Kids Taskforce?

Trustees:
Chair John Barker CB, retired from the Cabinet Office
Financial Director Calum Stewart, partner PKF Financial Conusltants
Stephen Leslie QC
Melissa Coutino Department of Health
Shamini Grayson Treasury Solicitor

National Strategy Group
President ACPO Ken Jones
President CFOA Steve McGuirk
Chief Executive PFA Gordon Taylor
Chief Constable Meredydd Hughes ACPO
Assistant Chief Fire Officer John Hoey

Development Strategy Group
Deputy Chief Constable Merseyside Bernard Lawson
Assistant Chief Fire Officer South Yorkshire John Hoey
PFA Trustee Paul Elliott

Head of Kids Taskforce
Sharon Doughty (former ITV and Channel 4 news presenter)

It’s Aims

The Kids Taskforce has launched a public campaign – “Safety matters for all
of our children - all of us have a part to play”. The campaign aims to support
parents, families and communities in making Britain a safer place for our
children and young people to live and play.

The Safety Matters for all our children campaign will raise awareness of the
importance of training our children to be strong and confident and to be able
to recognise and manage risk, as well as ask for help and support when they
need it.

The Kids taskforce is building on the well evaluated and popular missdorothy.com learning programme for primary school children and the Watch Over Me Soap for teenagers These resources have been developed with the help of parents whose children have died or been seriously injured in high profile incidents in Britain.

Resources are dedicated to the memory of children who have been murdered including Surrey teenager Milly Dowler, abducted and murdered on her way home from school, Damilola Taylor killed by a gang of teenagers in London and most recently 11 year old Rhys Jones, a child accidentally shot by a gang member in Merseyside. Parents have supported the creation of the materials in the hope that other families will be able to prevent the same tragedies occurring again.