Families are gearing up to attend a free fun day as part of a major new community safety project in Thringstone and Whitwick.
The Family Fun Day is being jointly hosted by Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Police and Crime Commissioner Rupert Matthews and North West Leicestershire District Council and gets underway at 11am at Thringstone Member's Club on Saturday, August 20.
The event has been organised to launch the new Thringstone and Whitwick People Zone - an initiative designed to bring communities together with public, private and third sector organisations to utilise the talents, skills and strengths of local people to build a safe and positive future.
Families can look forward to a bouncy castle, face painting, smoothie bike, emergency services demonstrations, food, stalls with local stakeholders and partners and much more.
Thringstone and Whitwick will join two established People Zones in Bell Foundry, Loughborough, and New Parks, Leicester, and will make a meaningful difference to community life by developing and expanding on resources so that everyone has access to local assets. These can include health drop-in sessions, activities to keep youths active and focused, safety awareness and crime prevention and training for residents and professionals.
Speaking ahead of the fun day, Mr Matthews said: "This is a hugely important milestone for the People Zones team and we are really looking forward to celebrating with families from Thringstone and Whitwick on August 20.
"Keeping people safe and tackling the issues that matter to them most are top priorities for me as Commissioner. I believe residents have a special role to play in improving safety because nobody knows our communities like the people who live within them.
"This exciting event will be the first for many in Thringstone and Whitwick to encourage relationship building and connectiveness. I would like to thank our colleagues at North West Leicestershire District Council for their hard work in helping to put this event together. I hope the weather looks on us favourably on the day."
Councillor Andrew Woodman, Portfolio Holder for Community Services at North West Leicestershire District Council, added: "We know many organisations, groups and individuals are doing great things to support the community in Thringstone and Whitwick, so we're really pleased to welcome a People Zone to build on the community spirit that already exists.
"It's great to be working with the Police and Crime Commissioner on this initiative and I hope the event is a hit with local families."
The new Thringstone and Whitwick People Zone will follow the same model as the existing areas, employing an Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) approach that focuses on the strengths of the community and harnesses the skills and networks that exist within the area.
In the first phase of the project, external research company Mapping for Change will undertake community research in Thringstone and Whitwick through surveys and other engagement methods to assess the assets within the area and how these can be best developed to further support local people.
