DURING the Easter holidays on 22 April, North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Andy Dunbobbin visited David Hughes Leisure Centre in Menai Bridge to see how a holiday activity project for young people is using some of the ill-gotten gains of criminals to fund local projects in North Wales through the Your Community, Your Choice fund.
Your Community, Your Choice is decided through a public vote and supported by the PCC, North Wales Police, and the North Wales Police and Community Trust (PACT). Over the past twelve years, Your Community, Your Choice has awarded almost £660,000 to 214 projects working to reduce crime in their neighbourhoods and support the priorities in the Police and Crime Commissioner’s Police and Crime Plan. The funding comes partly from money seized by the courts through the Proceeds of Crime Act, with the remainder provided by the Police and Crime Commissioner.
Anglesey-based Cymuned CELS Community (CELS stands for Character, Education and Life Skills) were one of the recent winners of the initiative for their Safe and Active Holiday Camps project which aims to engage young people and prevent anti-social behaviour (ASB) during the holidays, when children can find themselves away from the structure of school and with little else to do. CELS champions resilience, confidence and good character as fundamental to the education, wellbeing and future success of young people.
The aim of the project was for five days of holiday camps across Anglesey during the Easter school holidays, providing structured, engaging activities for primary-aged children, aged 5 to 11. The camps offered a safe, supervised environment for children to participate in team-building games, physical activities, problem-solving challenges, and creative workshops. Camp sessions ran from 10am until 2pm across locations including Llangefni, Pentraeth, Cemaes, Menai Bridge and Holyhead.
While at Menai Bridge, PCC Dunbobbin and Dave Evans from PACT met CELS team member Claire Doutch, plus instructors Chris Harding and Cai ab Arfon who were leading activities during the session. The 25 children attending took part in fun activities including teambuilding exercises, such as a game of ‘peg tag’.
One young attendee, 10-year-old Siwan from Llangristiolus, said: “I like coming here as there are fun activities and, otherwise, I would be at home doing nothing. The club helps people to make new friends and helps keep them calm during the holidays.”
Dylan Jones from Cymuned CELS Community commented: “We were pleased to welcome the PCC and show him the great work that we have been doing using the funding from Your Community, Your Choice.
“The programme was designed to support children’s wellbeing, social skills, and resilience while also preventing ASB by ensuring they have positive activities to engage in during the school break. There are currently no provisions for children under high school age in our area, leaving many without access to structured activities.
“This lack of supervised opportunities can increase the risk of children spending time in unsupervised environments, contributing to a cycle of disengagement and potential community disruption.
“Our aim was to stop this and we are pleased to have made a difference for the young people of Anglesey.”
Andy Dunbobbin, North Wales Police & Crime Commissioner, said: “I was delighted to visit Menai Bridge, to meet the team from CELS and to see how their project is supporting young people on Anglesey.
“As PCC, supporting communities and ensuring they remain resilient is a key part of my plan to fight crime in North Wales, as is reducing ASB, which is an issue often raised with me by local residents across the region.
“I’m proud that we are able to help organisations like CELS make a positive difference on Anglesey and across North Wales.”
PACT Chairman Ashley Rogers said: “Your Community, Your Choice is a powerful way of helping grassroots projects such as the CELS Safe and Active Holiday Camp, which enables young people to stay active outside school during the holidays, while reducing isolation and encouraging community engagement.
“As PACT Chair, I am delighted we have been able to support them in their work.”
North Wales Police Assistant Chief Constable Gareth Evans commented: “North Wales Police is proud to support Your Community, Your Choice and the important work that groups like CELS undertake.
“ASB can sometimes spike during the holidays and so activity camps like this help to keep young people engaged in focused and productive activities and away from the danger of getting involved in less positive actions.”
To learn more about PACT, visit www.pactnorthwales.co.uk and to learn more about the work of the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, visit www.northwales-pcc.gov.uk.
To read more about Cymuned CELS Community visit: www.celscymru.com
