A team of ten Educators in the London borough of Bexley have nearly finished their training and will soon be doing their first ‘observed’ sessions in the borough.

There is also a fully-trained team of voluntary Drug Educators operating in Kingston.  Click on the Kingston newsletter to find out more about their activities.  Highlights are regular involvement with the Kingston Council-run youth bus where Educators provide detached drug and alcohol education alongside sexual health workers – and involvement in the Junior Citizen event for Kingston Year 6 pupils held at Chessington World of Adventures.  This requires intensive commitment on the part of our volunteers who spend several hours every day for two weeks doing ten-minute drug awareness education with small groups of youngsters.

Seventy-one voluntary Drug Educators are available in other parts of London to provide drug awareness sessions for children, young people, parents, and youth and church workers. 

Our staff and the London-based voluntary Drug Educators carried out hundreds of sessions in the past year.  A sample of organisations worked with is below: 

• Beecholme School/Benedict Primary School, CR4 (Year 5 & 6 pupils)
• Ethiopian Community Centre, N17
• St Dunstan’s College, SE6
• Crown Court Church of Scotland, WC2B
• Praise Chapel, HA8
• Gateway Training Centre, SE1
• Education Development Centre, BR2
• Conduit Project, N22
• Chatsworth Baptist Church, SE27
• Paddington Academy, London, W9
• Living Waters Christian Centre, SE23
• Suffolk Baptist Church, EN1
• Oxygen Youth Project, KT3
• Girl Guides, E4
• Bonus Pastor School, SE13
• Pollards Hill Estate Residents Assoc, CR4

 A significant project that took place in Westminster in May 30^th 2011 was participation in the Pentecost Festival in Central London.  This involved twelve Educators in three teams working with the public at three different locations.  This is an annual event at which Hope UK will again participate in 2012.

The purpose is to increase alcohol awareness and Educators do this by using visual impairment goggles (‘beer goggles’).  A white line was set out on the grass or pavement for people to walk whilst wearing the goggles. Activities like Jenga and sorting tasks are also provided.  This gives people a taste of the visual effects of drunkenness which is a great conversation starter.  Adult and older young people are given leaflets that help them assess their own drinking levels. 

Hope UK Educators assisted with Junior Citizens programmes in Camden, Southwark and Bromley (for Year 6 pupils in all the local schools) by providing the drug and alcohol component.  As with Kingston, this represents a considerable commitment on the part of our Educators as these events are intensive and repetitive, taking place over several weeks.