Year 5 pupils at Clayton Brook Primary School in Lancashire have been awarded certificates to mark the successful completion of a programme that teaches them about being model citizens in their neighbourhood and positive members of the community.

What is Community Champions?

The 'Community Champions' programme is run by Places for People and encourages children to think about what makes a neighbourhood a great place to live. It also helps them consider how they can make a difference in their community to make it somewhere they can be proud to live.

Maria Troake and Barbara Smith, neighbourhood officers at Places for People, have been working with Year 5 and their teacher, Jen Little, since December, providing fun and creative lessons with a serious message. The children have made collages and a 'challenge wall' to help them learn about issues such as anti-social behaviour, peer pressure and graffiti.

The pupils have also met with a range of people who work with residents at Clayton Brook including Police Community Support Officer Adam Stone, Councillor Alan Cullens and Fiona Scott Wilson from Lancashire Fire and Rescue. They spoke to the children about their roles in the community and explained how pupils can help deal with problems such as fly-tipping, graffiti, vandalism, youth nuisance and dangerous dogs.

Maria Troake, Neighbourhood Officer at Places for People

"Every child has tried really hard and put in a huge amount of effort during our time working with them. I'm pleased they have enjoyed learning how to become a 'Community Champion' and we have enjoyed the time we spent at the school. I would like to thank the children for their hard work and look forward to working with more pupils at Clayton Brook Primary School in the future."