PACT Project group win at Garda Youth Awards
The Dacent Bananas group from the PACT project, recently won a Garda Youth Award for their response to a Safety Issue in their Community. To identify a safety issue, they consulted the Garda, local residents, active retirement groups and family members to ascertain the need. Through these consultations, they realised that the elderly in their community could be supported by developing a ‘safety in your home’ pack.
As part of a 6 week Crime awareness programme they reflected on their experiences and being victims of crime. In their discussions they spoke about how their grandparents were affected by people calling to the house, trying to force unwanted services on them and how frightened and intimidated they were. They identified the need to develop packs of resources with the aim of keeping older people safe within their community.
The packs contained crime prevention leaflets, advice on where and how to store emergency numbers, how to deal with bogus house callers and tips on keeping the person and their property safe at all times. The group developed an instruction guide covering some basic tips that can be attached to the inside of the front door of a house as a checklist for the older person before they leave their premises. The community Gardaí visited the Project and the young people have also visited the Garda Barracks as part of the process.
