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Getaway Girls: Leeds girls’ teen booze warning
WARNING: From left, Alisha De Riggs, Shanise James-Blair, PCSO Kieran Miles, who helped with the project, Stacey Alderson and PCSO Claire Darley.
Some of these girls have first-hand experience of how alcohol can blight the lives of young people.
And now, they’re putting their past struggles to good use – by developing a resource pack to warn of the dangers and risks associated with under-age drinking.
Members of Leeds-based charity Getaway Girls have launched Keep Sussed & Safe, a guide for teenagers aged 14 to 17 which will be handed out in schools and youth groups in east Leeds.
The educational pack, which contain role play games, real-life stories and advice, was inspired after a focus meeting at the group’s base in Harehills, where alcohol was identified as a main concern.
Peer educator Stacey Alderson, 23, was one of those involved in the project, completed with support from West Yorkshire Police.
Stacey started drinking at 15 and alcohol led her into a life of crime, including stealing and regular scuffles with the police.
Stacey, who is now training to be a youth development worker and wants to be a mentor with youth offending services, said: “I drank so much, I didn’t even know where I was when I woke up.
“The advice I would give would be to think about the consequences of drinking, because you can get yourself into dangerous situations, and if you’re going to drink, make sure it’s in a safe environment with people you can trust.”
Keep Sussed & Safe is based around a series of story-telling postcards, with each card featuring the personal story of a girl attending a house party.
Areas highlighted include links between alcohol, sexual health and anti-social behaviour.
PCSOs Claire Darley and Kieran Miles, of the Gipton and Harehills Neighbourhood Policing Team, were also involved in the project, along with youth development worker Zara Marcus, 26, and peer educators Shanise James-Blair, 23, and Alisha De Riggs, 17.
At the launch, chief inspector Melanie Jones – who leads neighbourhood policing in north east Leeds – told the group: “This is a great achievement and you should be very, very proud of yourselves.
“It’s great to see this project come to fruition and I’m sure it will have a great impact.”
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Weather for Leeds
Saturday 26 May 2012
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Temperature: 8 C to 21 C
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