Thousands of young people take part in Junior Good Citizen

The Junior Good Citizen (JGC) initiative has once again successfully equipped thousands of young people across Swindon and Wiltshire with the knowledge and confidence they need to stay safe as they prepare for secondary school.

Around 3,800 students have taken part in this year’s programme, which ran over the last two weeks in June at the Punjabi Centre in Swindon and the Wiltshire Scout Centre in Potterne, delivered by the Wiltshire Police Youth and Early Intervention Team in partnership with a range of local organisations and neighbourhood policing teams.

In Swindon, approximately 2,259 children from 47 schools attended a series of interactive sessions covering a wide range of important topics, including:

• Internet Safety (Swindon Borough Council)
• Hate Crime Awareness (Wiltshire Police)
• Healthy Relationships (Swindon Without Abuse)
• Weapons Awareness (Police / Swindon Borough Council Youth Justice Service)
• Exploitation (Escape Lines, Avon & Somerset)
• Vaping Awareness (Swindon Borough Council)
• Mental Health (Swindon Borough Council, Swindon and Gloucestershire MIND, Papyrus, Bath University)
• Rail Safety (British Transport Police)

In Wiltshire, around 1,615 children from 59 schools attended sessions including:

• Drugs and Alcohol Awareness (Connect Wiltshire)
• Rail Safety (British Transport Police)
• Dog Safety – “Doggy Do’s and Don’ts” (Wiltshire Council Dog Wardens)
• Road Safety (Wiltshire Council)
• Kindness and Anti-Bullying (Wiltshire School Nurses)
• Weapons Awareness (Youth Justice Service)
• Prison Me No Way van experience (Wiltshire Police)
• Hazard Alley – anti-social behaviour and personal safety (Wiltshire Police)

The programme is specifically designed to support children as they become more independent in Year 7 and beyond, providing bite-sized, real-world insights into issues such as community safety, online behaviour and personal responsibility.

Steven Jolly, Chief Inspector for the Wiltshire Police Neighbourhood Harm and Reduction Unit, said:

“Junior Good Citizen continues to be an incredibly important programme in helping young people build awareness, resilience and confidence at a key stage in their lives. By working together with our partners we are able to give children practical advice and real-life context around the risks they may face, empowering them to make safer choices and know where to go for help when they need it.”

The continued support of Wiltshire Police’s Neighbourhood Policing Teams has been instrumental in delivering the programme, helping to build trust and positive relationships between officers and young people while ensuring sessions reflect local community issues.

Feedback from schools, parents and students remains overwhelmingly positive, with many schools returning year after year.

A local teacher said: “This project is a fantastic example of what can be achieved when local services work together. We’re proud to be part of something that builds confidence, encourages kindness, and promotes responsibility in young people.”

Now approaching four decades of activity, the Junior Good Citizen initiative continues to leave a lasting impression on participants, encouraging them to become active, informed and positive members of their communities.