Crucial funding helping to teach children about how to stay safe
The Crucial Crew sessions, funded by £45,000 from GMP’s Asset Recovery Incentivisation Scheme (ARIS), have provided safety education to around 16,000 children in Greater Manchester. The sessions cover topics like personal safety, crime prevention, and internet safety, with participation from various organizations. The Oldham event involved local schools and agencies, emphasizing interactive learning to prepare children for real-world dangers.
£45,000 Seized from Criminals Funds Safety Training for 16,000 Manchester Children
Thousands of children across Greater Manchester are learning life-saving safety skills through workshops funded by money seized from criminals under the police Asset Recovery Incentivisation Scheme (ARIS).
The Crucial Crew sessions, coordinated by Child Safety Media, received £45,000 over the past year to deliver interactive safety workshops to approximately 16,000 children. Police officers present the sessions at schools and community venues, covering topics including personal safety, cyber-crime, knife crime, rail safety and anti-social behaviour.
At a recent Oldham session held at Mahdlo Youth Zone, pupils from Holy Family RC Primary School and Roundthorn Primary Academy joined workshops led by Greater Manchester Police, British Transport Police, Positive Steps and the TravelSafe Partnership. Chief Inspector Ian Partington and Inspector Kat Murray attended the event.
Insp Murray observed presentations by school nurses, British Transport Police, and Police Community Support Officers Rachel Pressdee and Martin Taylor. “It was such an enjoyable day watching the young people of Oldham engaging with all these fantastic services and learning vital life lessons, which really will benefit them as they grow and develop in years to come,” she said.
The funding covers transportation, venue hire and event planning costs for the workshops, which target Year 6 pupils aged 10-11 as they prepare for increased independence in secondary school.
Child Safety Media director Dan Lowrie explained the programme teaches children “to become more aware of their personal safety, learn how to react to dangerous situations, practice safety skills within a controlled environment and gain knowledge that can be carried into the wider community.”
Greater Manchester Police’s Economic Crime Unit reclaimed over £17 million from criminals in 2024, with funds distributed to community projects aimed at preventing crime and supporting victims.
Detective Inspector Sarah Langley witnessed the Crucial Crew programme in action: “It was good to see first-hand how the money we seize is being put to good use and helping to keep our youngsters safe. It is fitting that the money we seize from proceeds of crime is being used to help fight, prevent and reduce crime, keep people safe, and care for victims, which ultimately makes Greater Manchester a better place to live, work and visit.”
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