Dr Alan Billings, South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner was in attendance at the annual awards for the 2015 Junior Warden Programme on Thursday, 26 November to present certificates.

The event at the Holiday Inn at Dodworth was also attended by local councillors Phillip Birkinshaw, Jack Carr, Richard Riggs and Kevin Williams and acknowledged the achievements of the 24 young people who had participated in the Dodworth Crime and Safety Group Junior Warden Autumn scheme.

The Junior Wardens schemes are designed to increase awareness of the environment to young people and have many different strands allowing the young people to become more aware of some of the dangers in life through fun and learning.

It is supported by South Yorkshire Police, South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue, Yorkshire Ambulance Service, Barnsley Council, Berneslei Homes, the National Mining Museum, Network Rail, Northern Rail, Cannon Hall Farm , Holiday Inn and Woodhead Mountain Rescue.

Each organisation offered time out for the wardens providing them with invaluable first aid training, visits to Barnsley Fire Station, Cannon Hall Farm and a trip out on a train to a signal box in Huddersfield and also witnessed video footage of some harrowing near misses of people playing on railway lines.

Dr Alan Billings said: “The Junior Warden Programme offers young people the opportunity to understand some of the excellent work of the emergency services. It is a very good way of introducing them to the dangers of train lines, the outstanding work of volunteers in Mountain Rescue and allows them to be part of a team of people learning and having fun.
“I was very impressed with all of those who took part from Gawber and Worsbrough Common schools and their parents and teachers should be very proud of them.”

Malcolm Howarth, who runs the scheme said: “The Junior Wardens scheme has now been running for eight years in the Dodworth Ward and this year the newly formed Junior Wardens from the Kingstone Ward have teamed up with them. The overall aim of the project is to promote good citizenship, build character, team spirit and self-confidence. I would like to thank Dr Billings for coming along to the presentation and all of the young people getting involved in the scheme.”

The scheme is set to expand this coming year with the introduction of a parallel scheme for the Worsbrough and Central Wards in which Ward Green Primary school and Queen’s Road Academy will team up.

The Junior Warden Scheme is funded from grants made available by ward councillors and supported by a team of volunteers. If you would like to help, sponsor or be involved in the new schemes or for more information on the scheme please call Malcolm on 07850 949943.