Safer Gosport Community day to focus on legal highs

The Safer Gosport Community Day will be looking at making young people aware of the dangers of legal highs through the Lethal Legal Highs campaign.

Similar to last year’s event, the day aims to educate young people on how to stay safe in the town, including the use of legal highs.

And there will be information on restorative justice through the Hampshire Community Court as well as child sexual exploitation.

A number of other youth schemes and projects will be on display.

Chairman of the community safety partnership Cllr John Beavis said: ‘Such programs give the young people in Gosport a sense of belonging and ownership.

‘They allow them to cultivate their spirit, allowing them to discover their identity, interests and strengths.

‘It is about helping them foster meaningful and supportive relations with peers and adults with the development of new skills and have lots of fun too.’

As previously reported in The News, one scheme to help young people was the Cop Car Project run by the police and crime commissioner Simon Hayes and the Royal Navy.

It helped teenagers in Gosport who had difficulty with mainstream education and were known to officers.

They had to build a kit car and race against other teams.

Cllr Beavis added: ‘It is so good to see programs that successfully promote youth development such as the achievement of the Cop Car project, which will be displayed.’

The Safer Gosport Community Day will have a number of stalls from emergency services including police, ambulance service and the Gosport and Fareham Inshore Rescue Service.

Streetscene, Hampshire Fire and Rescue service and the Coastguard will also be there.

Held for the past five years, it gives people in the town the chance to learn about keeping safe and as part of that, there will be free cycle coding and discounted cycle locks.

The event is on Saturday, March 19 in Gosport high street between 11am and 2pm.

For more information visit safergosport.co.uk.