Pupils at Bradfield School in Sheffield received a visit from Dr Alan Billings, South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner on Thursday, 15 February when he popped along to see the session Golddigger Trust were putting on for them.

The Golddigger Trust are providing awareness raising sessions across schools in Sheffield and Rotherham funded by money they were awarded from the Commissioner’s community grant scheme.

The £5,000 funding will provide advice around issues of child sexual exploitation, domestic abuse and staying safe on-line to young people through innovative and creative sessions delivered in schools.

The ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ session allows groups of young people from age 13 upwards to explore consequences and choices around the topics through a larger than life ‘board game’.

Dr Alan Billings said: “What the pupils will learn today, will stay with them for much longer than if they had been given the information in a lecture or leaflet.

“Golddigger Trust’s interactive way of working is popular with young people and an effective way of conveying important messages about keeping safe.  Young people discuss challenging real life situations, make theoretical choices and follow through consequences.”

Beth Stout, Chief Executive at Golddigger Trust said: “In 2017 we ran 35 sessions in schools.  Feedback from pupils and teachers was very positive, with 85% of the 930 participants saying they now understood more about the issues around risky relationships.

“This funding from the Commissioner will allow us to deliver a further 40 much needed sessions in schools.”

Through this project the Golddigger Trust aim to engage with up to 1,000 young people across Rotherham and Sheffield in seven different schools.  For more information on Golddigger Trust visit their website here – http://www.golddiggertrust.co.uk/