11/02/2013 - Permalink

Government official visits Shropshire to support campaign to tackle underage drinking

Related topics: Community / Partner organisations

The Government’s Champion for Active Safer Communities, Baroness Newlove, visited Shropshire on Monday 11 February 2013 to see firsthand the important work that the council is doing to tackle underage drinking and alcohol-related problems in the county.

Last year Shropshire was successful in being awarded £90,000 of a £1million ‘Alcohol fund’ from the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG).  The fund was announced by Baroness Newlove in her latest report “Building Safe, Active Communities”, to help local neighbourhoods address alcohol-related issues such as underage drinking and associated anti-social behaviour.

Baroness Newlove, who leads the initiative, met with community alcohol partnerships, councillors and young people to find out more about the initiatives taking place and the progress of the project in Shropshire.

The two-year project is being led by Shropshire’s Community Alcohol Partnership (Shrop-CAP), a multi-agency partnership set up to oversee the scheme, which comprises of Shropshire’s Drug and Alcohol Action Team, West Mercia Police, and Shropshire Council’s positive activities team and trading standards team.

The Baroness’ tour included a morning meeting with Steve Charmley, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member responsible for public protection, and members of the Shrop-CAP steering group.  This was followed by a visit to The Centre, Oswestry’s new youth centre, where the Baroness was greeted by Keith Barrow, Leader of Shropshire Council and local councillor for Oswestry South, and met young people and members of Os-CAP, Oswestry’s Community Alcohol Partnership. 

The Baroness was joined by pupils of Marches School who did a presentation on young people’s views and solutions to alcohol use in the town.  Shropshire Council’s positive activities team and the Oswestry Youth Café also provided an overview of the work they are doing with young people in the area.

Keith Barrow said:

“We are delighted Baroness Newlove visited Shropshire to see the work we are doing with partners to help tackle underage drinking and associated anti-social behaviour.

“It was as a result of one of Baroness Newlove’s Government reports that we have now received £45,000 each year for the next two years.  With the help of this money and through effective partnership working, we can make a real difference to the negative effects alcohol has on our communities.

“Baroness Newlove saw firsthand how the funding is being used and the positive changes it will make.”

In Shropshire the project is focusing on five public parks in the county which have seasonal summertime issues around underage drinking and associated anti-social behaviour.  These parks are:

  • Cae Glas Park, Oswestry
  • Jubilee Park, Whitchurch
  • Crown Meadow, Bridgnorth
  • Wheeler Road Park, Ludlow
  • Pontesbury, Minsterely area 

Shrop-CAP have already set up local Community Alcohol Partnership (CAP) groups for each locality which include Bridgnorth Community Alcohol Partnership,(B-CAP), Whitchurch Community Alcohol Partnership,(W-CAP),  Ludlow (L-CAP), Minsterley / Pontesbury (M&P-CAP), and the already established Oswestry Community Alcohol Partnership (Os-CAP), to address the specific issues in their area.

Each CAP group are working on many initiatives, including tackling proxy purchasing(when a person aged 18 or over buys alcohol on behalf of an underage person), providing alcohol awareness and information to communities, and working with young people on developing positive activities.

Steve Charmley, Chair of Shrop-CAP, said:

“We are committed to working in partnership with the police, retailers and communities through our CAPs to reduce underage drinking in our local neighbourhoods.

“Thanks to the support of Baroness Newlove and funding from the DCLG, we are now expanding on this work at a grass roots level.  By working with whole community, including residents, park users and young people, we can address underage drinking and positively enhance the overall quality of life for all people who use and live in the vicinity of the parks.”

Supermarkets Tesco in Whitchurch, Morrisons in Oswestry, and Sainsbury’s in Bridgnorth have given their support to the scheme.

Further information

The funding will be allocated to each park depending on the specific needs of each area. Activities could include:

  • Training, including Licencing and Challenge 25, being made available to licensees.
  • Test purchase operations.
  • Joint enforcement (police, licencing, trading standards) patrols to increase public reassurance and engagement, and provide support to the alcohol trade.
  • Alcohol education and awareness sessions with young people, parents and the community as a whole.
  • Alcohol confiscations from minors linked into further support for vulnerable young people and concerned parents.
  • Detached diversionary youth activities which will focus upon park based positive activities for young people. 
  • Work to bring together a shared understanding and tolerance of all park users, including young people and local residents.
  • Proxy purchase campaigns.
  • Ongoing publicity and communication of key messages, via council Newsroom, social media channels, local media, and other relevant communications.