Lord Mayor launches Children’s Safety Initiative

A ground-breaking children’s safety initiative was launched at the weekend.

The Lord Mayor of Bradford, Coun Abid Hussain, unveiled the scheme which involves three schools taking part in the Children’s Year of Safety, which has the support of a wide range of organisations and agencies.

The schools involved are Our Lady of Victories Catholic Primary, Merlin Top Primary Academy and Laycock Primary.  Each term during the academic year they will cover different topics around safeguarding and safety.

It is hoped that if the scheme is a success, it will be rolled out to other parts of Keighley and the wider Bradford district.

Coun Abid Hussain said:  “When we work together we can give our children every chance to thrive and fulfil their potential – which is what every one of them deserves,” he said.

“The Children’s Year of Safety is a new idea and I am delighted that we in Keighley are leading the way on such an important piece of work.

“There’s an old saying, ‘it takes a whole village to raise a child’. It may be an old saying, but it’s as true now as it ever was and it means we are all responsible for keeping our children safe.

“The Children’s Year of Safety will make it clear what that actually means for everyone.”

The gala – staged by the Braithwaite and Guard House Partnership, which brings together a host of organisations and agencies – has been hailed a success and was attended by hundreds of people.

There was a lot going on, on the day and attractions included a fancy dress contest, cave bus, bouncy castle, games, team sports, face painting, under-fives messy play, crafts, food and stalls.

The police and fire service were there, Keighley Healthy Living was represented and White Rose Energy distributed information.

Mae Wilkinson, five, and Tia-Rose Curry, six, help the Lord Mayor of Bradford, Cllr Abid Hussain, brush-up on road safety at Braithwaite and Guard House Gala

Join us in Barkerend at the Eid Themed Party

An Eid themed street party is set to take place on Thursday, 24 August transforming a local street into an outdoor fun arena.  Activities include face painting, mehndi, activities and games, information stalls and much more!

The street party will be held at Folkestone Street, Barkerend, BD3 between 11am and 3pm.

This is a partnership event with Bradford Council Youth Service, Neighbourhoods Team and Better Start Bradford.

For more information, please email: saboor.ghazi@bradford.gov.uk

Bradford Community Stars 2016

Dedicated volunteers who strive to make a difference in their local communities will be recognised for their hard-work in the sixth annual Community Stars Awards which open for nominations today.

The honours are organised by the Telegraph & Argus and Bradford Council in a bid to ensure unsung heroes across the district are properly rewarded.

We are asking for nominations for those people who have voluntarily have gone out of their way to help others.

Nominations will be whittled down by a panel of judges before a public vote from a shortlist of nominees.

Category winners will be announced at a ceremony at The Midland Hotel, on December 7, and presented with the Bradford Medal.

This year’s awards are part of the People Can Make a Difference campaign which aims to recognise the voluntary work already being carried out in the district. It encourages people to make a difference in a number of ways, such as being neighbourly, through community action or volunteering, as well as raising money for local projects.

The awards are sponsored by Better Start Bradford and this year include the Better Start Bradford Outstanding Contribution Award.

This is intended to highlight efforts made by volunteers working with children under four, their families and the wider community   as part of Better Start Bradford schemes in the Bowling, Barkerend, Bradford Moor and Little Horton areas of the district.

The project aims to give babies and children in these areas of Bradford a better start in life.

Councillor Abdul Jabar, the council’s portfolio holder for neighbourhoods and community safety, said: “The people of Bradford have a proud tradition of volunteering and getting involved in helping their communities so we are delighted to be working with the Telegraph & Argus to acknowledge residents who go the extra mile.

“There are lots of people who deserve a Community Stars award and I urge local people to get involved and nominate someone who has made a real difference.”

Closing Date 26^th September 2016

For further information contact   anna.frater@bradford.gov.uk

You can download a nomination form  here