Youngsters in Botcherby are invited to join in when "Twilight Football" sessions kick off this week as part of Cumbria County Council Fire and Rescue Service’s Action Ward Initiative. The sessions will take place at Botcherby Community Centre on Friday evenings (starting 21st October) between 8 and 9pm. They are open to anyone from the Botcherby area aged 12 and up and are free of charge.
The Action Wards Initiative focuses further efforts on four specific Cumbrian communities in a bid to drive forward the service’s fire prevention and community safety messages. In Carlisle the Botcherby Ward is benefiting from the six-month programme.
A flexible approach has been taken in consultation with the communities to address the key issues in each area. The Twilight Football sessions aim to provide young people with another positive recreational activity in Botcherby as well as engage them and get them involved with the Action Ward Initiative.
The Fire and Rescue Service has worked with the ‘Nacro’ extra time football project to develop the sessions, which will be run by Nacro project worker Tracy Gannon.
Nacro is a crime reduction charity aiming to make society safer by finding practical solutions to reducing crime. Nacro has over 200 projects across England and Wales, in Carlisle they are running a social inclusion football project working in Botcherby, Harraby, Upperby and Morton.
County councillor Geoff Hodgson, spokesman for the Fire and Rescue Service says:
"The aims of our Action Ward Initiative include reducing anti-social behaviour and creating safer, stronger, communities. Giving young people the opportunity to take part in positive and productive sports and activities will help achieve this. It’s also an excellent opportunity to find out what they would like done in Botcherby and get them actively involved in their community."