“ County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service is proud to be associated with Sacriston Youth Project which is a brilliant initiative aimed at supporting the emotional and social development of young people from the surrounding community. The role of the Fire and Rescue Service is not just about responding to emergencies, we also invest a significant amount of time and energy in engaging with local people to help make improvements within the communities which we serve. One of the ways in which we do this is through our Young Firefighters Association (YFA) schemes in which we recruit young people from the local community and train them in the skills required to become the firefighters of the future if they wish. As Young Firefighters they gain personal development, life skills and leadership development which will help prepare them for their working lives, whatever they decide to do as a career. We like to ensure that the young people within our YFA schemes support initiatives in their local communities and the Young Firefighters at Durham Community Fire Station have been actively engaged with Sacriston Youth Project and other community based projects over the last year. In this way the Fire and Rescue Service hopes to be able to help young people, whatever their background, to aspire to achieve their goals in life by providing positive role models and helping them to develop the key skills required to succeed. Working alongside the enthusiastic and energetic youth workers and young people from the Sacriston Youth Project has been a great experience for our Young Firefighters and I’m sure that this relationship will continue well into the future.”

“Sacriston Youth Project plays a vital role in working with young people in the area.  Their approach is highly innovative offering a wide range of different opportunities.  I am pleased to have supported some of these in the past and wish the club every success for the future” this item about? What makes it interesting?

“A great community asset that opens up participation for everyone.  Innovative methods of working allow young people to explore themselves and the world around them at a pace that encourages their development.  I am pleased to lend my support to Sacriston Youth Project.

I regularly see the benefits to young people of schemes such as Sacriston Youth Project, where members of the local communities take an active role in developing  young people, encouraging and supporting them in making positive steps to achieve their full potential. We have seen here the positive difference that it can also have for the wider community. After visiting the project and speaking with both those involved in running events and those taking part, it was clear that this provides a fantastic opportunity to develop skills and confidence whilst breaking down some of the multi-generational barriers that exist in many communities.  I am delighted that members of Chester-Le-Street Neighbourhood Police Team have the opportunity to get involved with the activities and increase the value of the sessions run within the project. This has also enabled us to build relationships with young people from the local area and to gain a richer picture of issues that the community would like their police team to tackle. I look forward to seeing the positive results of the project in the months and years to come.