The Assistant Police and Crime Commissioner, Ashley Bertie, has spent a morning with West Midlands Police Cadets from across the force area as they take on new challenges and activities at Ackers Adventure Centre thanks to an investment from an independent charity, Building Blocks.
Building Blocks aims to give young people in the West Midlands access to appropriate and high quality services regardless of background and give them opportunities to contribute to society. They have focussed on providing funding for diversionary activities for young people for almost 20 years
The cadets, from Dudley and Birmingham units, spent the whole day at the activity centre taking part in activities such as zip wires and a jungle assault course as they continue to build confidence and team working skills.
This is just one of the activity days which the Police Cadets will be taking part in over summer as they build up to a big policing day later in August where they will be able to meet different departments and discover more about the work they do as well as being given some tasks to do. This will be one of the first times that all of the cadets will have met each other.
Assistant Police and Crime Commissioner Ashley Bertie said:
“Activity days such as this are really important for giving new experiences to young people and helping them build confidence by doing things they never would have thought they could.
“There is an important message here as well around diversionary work. There are not just young Police Cadets at the Ackers centre but young people from across the region who are taking on new activities rather than finding themselves with little to do and being on the streets in their summer holidays.”
There are currently five cadet units in the West Midlands, with plans for more to open in the new academic year.
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