13/11/2012 - Permalink

Launch of new Community Alcohol Partnership in Bridgnorth

Related topics: Community / Health / Partner organisations

A new Community Alcohol Partnership in Bridgnorth to help tackle underage drinking and associated anti-social behaviour will be launched on Monday 19 November 2012.

Bridgnorth’s Community Alcohol Partnership (BCAP) is one of several CAP groups set up to oversee a new scheme to tackle underage drinking in Shropshire, and will be working with young people and residents around Crown Meadow Park in Bridgnorth.

The scheme has been developed thanks to funding of £90,000 over 2 years (£45,000 per year) through the Department of Communities and Local Government.

Crown Meadow is one of several parks in Shropshire to have secured a share from The Alcohol Fund.  Other parks include Caer Glas Park in Oswestry and Jubilee Park in Whitchurch.  The parks had been identified as having seasonal summertime issues around underage drinking and associated anti-social behaviour.

The funding has allowed the Bridgnorth Community Alcohol Partnership (BCAP) to be set up to deliver an action plan at local level to meet the local needs. This will include addressing underage drinking and associated anti-social behaviour, using Crown Meadow as the focus for creating dialogue between young people and the local community; and using the assets within Crown Meadow and the community to provide positive activities for young people. The objectives of the scheme are to:

  • reduce the public perception of underage drinking on Crown Meadow measured through face-to-face surveys
  • reduce the quantity of alcohol-related litter
  • increase the number of police alcohol seizures
  • increase the percentage of trading premises trained on preventing underage and proxy purchases
  • reduce the number of young people attempting to purchase alcohol from off-licences. 

BCAP are asking local residents and anyone interested in supporting the scheme to come along to the event at the Crown Inn, High Street, Bridgnorth from 9.30am to 11.30am.

Steve Charmley, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member with responsibility for public protection, said:

“Our vision is to promote a culture where the whole community, in partnership with services, address underage drinking in order to improve the overall quality of life for everyone who lives near Crown Meadow and/or uses its facilities.

“The community has a key role to play in how the project is delivered locally.  The engagement and support of local residents and users of Crown Meadow, including young people, will be an important contributing factor to the overall success of the project.  The more people who become involved, the greater the success will be.”

John Hurst-Knight, Chair of BCAP, and a local Shropshire Councillor for Bridgnorth West and Tasley, said:

“This programme has great support in the community and will give benefit to the health of teenagers in Bridgnorth.  We hope many local residents will be able to join us to learn more about this exciting initiative and how they can get involved.”

William Parr, a local Shropshire Councillor for Bridgnorth East and Astley Abbots, said:

“I wholeheartedly support the BCAP overseeing a new scheme to tackle underage drinking in Shropshire, and working with young people and residents around the Crown Meadow in Bridgnorth.  The BCAP is a positive step in addressing underage drinking and anti-social behaviour.”

Les Winwood, also a local Shropshire Councillor for Bridgnorth West and Tasley, said:-

“I am pleased that we are now working with partners to seriously look at underage drinking and associated issues.  It is essential that the community joins in, and together we will make a difference.”

For more information about the scheme and to get involved contact Tom Brettell, senior community action officer, on 01743 253209.

Further information

BCAP comprise of a wide range of partners including:

  • The local community eg Friends of Crown Meadow
  • The licenced trade eg pubs, off-licences, Sainsbury’s
  • Trading Standards
  • West Mercia Police
  • Bridgnorth Endowed School, and Oldbury Wells School
  • Voluntary sector youth services
  • Bridgnorth Town Council
  • Shropshire Council service teams eg Community Action Team, Drug and Alcohol Action Team, Shropshire Youth, Housing, Recreation Services, Licencing, Streetscene.

BCAP aims to:

  • reduce the public perception of underage drinking on Crown Meadow, measured through face-to-face surveys
  • reduce the quantity of alcohol-related litter, measured through alcohol litter collections by the town council
  • an increase in the number of police alcohol seizures, measured through police figures
  • an increase in the percentage of trading premises trained on preventing underage and proxy purchases
  • a decrease in the number of young people attempting to purchase alcohol from off-licences, measured through off-licence refusal records
  • an increase in community awareness of the BCAP scheme, measured through post-project community surveys.

The following activities are either under discussion or actively being implemented:

  • education within the schools (potential to include primary school Year 6)
  • education through Youth Services outside of school
  • a proxy purchase campaign
  • test purchase operations
  • alcohol confiscations and involvement of the parents
  • diversionary youth activities focusing on park-based activities for young people
  • joint enforcement patrols (police, trading standards and licencing) to increase public reassurance and provide support to the alcohol trade.