Welcome to the winter edition of DARE eNews.
We hope your Christmas was merry and bright and that you’re ready to begin 2010 with smiles as fresh as the snow that keeps trying to stop the DARE team from making it to HQ.
As always we would like to take the opportunity to thank you all for your supply
of news, articles and other items that make up our newsletters. We love hearing
about what you’ve been up to and how DARE (UK) is constantly evolving to spread
the word.
The drug education and life skills charity, DARE, has been given a £2240 boost, thanks to a donation from the Mayor of Broxtowe.
DARE, which teaches hundreds of youngsters how to avoid the dangers of illegal drugs, violence, anti social behaviour and bullying, was one of the nominated charities for the past Mayor, Councillor Sue Wildey, who retired in May.
She handed over a cheque to the DARE CEO David Gilbert and Chair of Trustees, Kate Allsop at a special ceremony at Broxtowe Town Hall.
Coun. Wildey said: “DARE does a tremendous amount of good work in schools and their programmes are an established part of the curriculum. I was amazed to discover that they were a charity – they provide a service which should be automatically offered to schoolchildren everywhere.
“I made them one of my nominated charities during my year in office and I am very pleased to be able to donate this amount of money to such a worthwhile venture.
“Their work is more essential than ever in helping children to develop the skills they need to combat some the many dangers they face in the modern world.”
DARE CEO, David Gilbert said: ”We are delighted to get this degree of support from the Mayor and the people of Broxtowe. We are thrilled that Coun. Wildey decided to nominate us. Times are hard for charities in the present climate. This is a significant amount of money and could mean that more than 100 more children will benefit from our programmes.”
DARE operates in more than 280 Nottinghamshire schools and the charity is currently expanding its operations into Derbyshire, Leicestershire and South Yorkshire,
The programmes are delivered by a serving or retired police officer in conjunction with teaching staff.
PICTURE: DARE chair of trustees, Kate Allsop (left) and CEO David Gilbert (right) – along with the familiar DARE lion mascot, receive the cheque from Coun. Sue Wildey, (centre).
Forty-seven children from Chetwynd Road Primary School in Beeston, Notts, have dared to say “No” to illegal drugs and anti-social behaviour.
They have all graduated with honours from the programme run at the school by the anti-drugs education charity DARE and were presented with certificates at a special ceremony at the school. .
The ceremony was attended by the Mayor of Broxtowe, Coun. John Longdon and included original poetry and drama from the graduates, as well as a lively performance of the DARE song and an appearance by the life-size DARE lion.
Dare UK is a National Charity which delivers life skills and drugs education to youngsters aged 9 to 16.
It was brought to the UK in Nottinghamshire 16 years ago and is popular in more than 280 of the county’s schools.
DARE programmes are delivered by serving or retired police officers and teaching staff.
The successful DARE message is now being taken up by schools in other East Midlands counties and is being introduced in Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Lincolnshire.
Coun. Longdon said: “Dare is absolutely brilliant and it has the support of the council. It gives children who are about to go to secondary school the self-awareness and confidence to say no to the temptations and dangers they may face.”
Chetwynd Road Primary School’s head teacher, Graeme Robins said: “Dare is an essential part of our curriculum and contributes to the all-round education of our children. It helps them to make the right decisions to choose a healthy lifestyle.”
The DARE officer who delivered the programme to the school, Kathy Cross said: “I am very proud of all these new DARE graduates and I know they are now well prepared to make informed choices and to deal successfully with the challenges they will face in the future.”
PICTURE.: The Mayor of Broxtowe, Coun. John Longdon joins the DARE lion and DARE officer, Kathy Cross, to congratulate new graduates at Chetwynd Road Primary School in Beeston, Notts.
Do you fancy yourself as the next Quentin Blake or Jacqueline Wilson? We’ve been reading some of your poems and we have to say we’re impressed! If you’ve been inspired by DARE, let us hear it and we’ll put you in poetry corner for everyone to see. Big kids are welcome too!
Dear DARE Officers
I will never forget about you.
You have taught us something new.
Saying NO to drugs in different ways.
So I can live more years, months or days,
You told us that violence isn’t the answer,
If we use drugs and violence we could be sick, hurt or have cancer.
Instead, we can get along nicely and well,
And to people, problems are things we can tell.
Thanks DARE Officers
By Hollie Ashley from Annesley Primary and Nursery School
(Contributed by DARE Officer Colin Middleton)
Dare poem
Dare, Dare don’t take bad drugs
Dare Dare don’t listen to those thugs.
Dare, Dare I’ve learnt so much
About drugs and alcohol and what will
Always be right.
Dare, Dare Darren the dare lion shows
respect to the people who make the right choices.
Dare Dare D.O Cross cares about the
choices that children make so we will all be ok.
Dare, Dare drugs will just ruin
Your life in the future for good.
Dare, Dare stop before you start
Then the rest of your life will be safe.
By Joey Szymanski from Chetwynd Road Primary School
My D.A.R.E. Poem
Dare is good dare is great it helps not to make a mistake if you have a problem
I know who to call Hettys or frank but please don’t prank call.
Alcohol is bad it gives you slow responses, irritates your stomach and gives
you big head aches.
4000 chemicals in one cigarette expensive and addictive think about think
about all those debts!
Now you know what dare can help you though, now your life will be better for
you!
By Dominique Cheng and Esme Collinge from Chetwynd Road Primary School
My D.A.R.E. Poem
Alcohol that people drink,
Makes it really hard to think,
If you don’t think it’s addictive,
It is, and in time it will be expensive.
If you smoke tobacco,
It is always hard to find,
A really good job or,
Find a friend that is kind.
One cigarette a person will smoke,
Can change a really nice bloke,
Cannabis is a drug that’s so strong,
It’s also a drug that’s illegal and wrong.
By Sansia Thapa from Chetwynd Road Primary School
REASONS NOT TO CONSUME
I consumed to be happy and I knew depression
I consumed to be sociable and I became isolated
I consumed to be amiable and I became angry
I consumed to have friends and I remained alone
I consumed to sleep and I rose exhausted
I consumed to be a man and I became impotent
I consumed to work better and I became unable
I consumed to have confidence and I became unsure
I consumed to feel safe and I became insecure
I consumed to be creative and I lost my creativity
I consumed to forget and my memories became tormented
I consumed to feel free and I felt a prisoner
I consumed to solve my problems and these were multiplied
I consumed to help me to live and invited death
I consumed to know and experience the sky and I knew hell
After ALL OF THIS: - all I want is my freedom from drugs and alcohol
Anonymous
DARE (UK) has moved to a brand new home. Formerly of Bluecoates School in Aspley, DARE HQ can now be found in one of the sparkling new business units located at Portland College on the outskirts of Mansfield. Portland College is dedicated to introducing vulnerable adults to the world of work and is one of only four colleges of its kind in the UK.
Business Enterprise Units
Based in an office development, Portland’s 10 units of various sizes offer the ideal base for small businesses like DARE (UK) that are looking for a new home. All units come furnished with a limited amount of office furniture and equipment and there are plenty of training opportunities for their clients from an array of sources.
For anyone wishing to visit DARE or the local area, Portland even has its own bed and breakfast facility which forms part of the Beeches Lodge. Portland College itself is situated in a forty acre campus, which is part of Sherwood Forest – Robin Hood’s kingdom. Prices are reasonable at £55 for a King-size or Twin and £75 for a Triple/Family room. The room rates include a Continental Breakfast.
DARE (UK) is looking forward to developing a strong relationship with the college. So far we’ve warmed up our new home with a DARE Officer Training Day then ended the year in style by hosting our first Teacher Training Day.
Come and pay us a visit!
Raffle
The Christmas raffle was drawn on time Friday 18th December 2009 and the winner was Mr Patel from Bramcote, Nottingham, who will be taking delivery of a brand new Skoda Fabia very shortly.
DARE (UK) is spreading out across the Midlands and beyond. The team at HQ and the DARE Officers are working together to spread the word about saying No to misusing drugs in brand new schools in Hull, Yorkshire, Doncaster and many more. We’ve already had enquiries from Derbyshire,
DARE’s website has been revamped by our man of many talents, Stuart Longcroft. We’ve got a brand new colour scheme and updated layout which will hopefully make your browsing easier. Take a look at the content we’ll be uploading throughout 2010 and let us know what else you’d like to see. The upcoming DARE blog will let you know what we’re up to as well as interesting news in the world of drugs abuse resistance education.
Out and About
Our very own DARE Officer Colin Middleton’s dulcet tones were on the radio before Christmas. Colin said “I was interviewed by Gareth Evans on the Gareth Evans Show on Tuesday 8 December 2009. I gave a brief working history of DARE’s achievements, and covered the fact that the organisation was worldwide. Not many people know that we’re not limited to the Midlands; DARE Officers can be found from America to Germany! I also stated that we were expanding our activities across the UK and that new programmes such as DARE Active were in the pipeline for Secondary schools and the community.”
Training Manager Stuart Wright and Senior DARE Officer Kathy Cross are due to fly out to Germany at the end of February. They’re going to provide a DARE Officer Training Course and pool resources with the German team to ensure that those across the pond can say NO to misuse of drugs.
Despite pouring rain on Saturday 14 November, pupils from Radcliffe on Trent Primary School helped London say No to misuse of drugs during the Lord Mayor’s annual Parade.
DARE Officers Alvin Cable and Kathy Cross accompanied the children along the route. Kathy said “It was a very, very wet and windy day but the children took part in the parade and thoroughly enjoyed it.”
DARE’s fantastic float contained an eighteen wheeler HGV sponsored by Willmott Dixon. The company decked it out in the DARE colours to carry the children along the route, followed by the classic DARE bus that has been taking part in the parade for several years.
Also at the parade and showing their support for DARE were our Chief Executive David Gilbert, Chairman Kate Allsop, Trustee Philip Edwards and their other halves. They helped to spread the word by handing out flags and whistles to the onlookers.
We’ve got videos on Twitter and Facebook too!
DARE in the Community (‘DARE Active’)
DARE Active is our newly developed community resource, designed to complement the DARE Primary curriculum and to help young people deal with the challenges they face. The programme takes a fresh approach and introduces the ‘Six Keys to Success’ developed by the British Athletes Commission as an integral part of the curriculum and complementary to the DARE decision making model. The young people are encouraged to assess themselves on an ongoing basis against a set of criteria.
DARE Active is primarily led by DARE Champions, members of the community (professional and non professional) who are actively involved in teaching, training, supporting or coaching young people and are trained and licensed by DARE UK to deliver the resource. DARE Active consists of 8 sessions which can be delivered as an 8 week programme or stand alone (a modular approach). It includes an optional celebration of achievement where guests can be invited to share the celebration or speak in a role model capacity. This opportunity lends itself to the local Policing teams attending and reinforcing some of the key messages. The sessions comprise:
-
Introduction to the programme
-
The Six Keys to Success
-
Team building and positive communication
-
How can we work together and value others in order to achieve success
-
Self-Esteem and Motivation
-
Discipline and Responsibility
-
Preparing to attempt a new challenge
-
Review and Self-Assessment – (celebration for success)
DARE Active enables students to:
-
Develop key life skills to stay safe, healthy and to make a positive contribution within society
-
Set goals with success criteria for their development
-
Review and assess their performance
-
Raise their self-esteem and develop the skills to maximise their life opportunities
-
Become inspired and motivated, to achieve their goals
-
Be disciplined and take responsibility for their own actions
-
Develop support networks and communicate with the networks in a positive manner
-
Make informed decisions about health, social and moral dilemmas (e.g. misusing drugs)
-
Work within the framework of personal, learning and thinking skills (Qualifications and Curriculum Authority)
How to Start Up DARE Active
DARE UK will provide training for DARE Champions (typically between 16 hours and 40 hours dependent upon existing qualifications and skills), up to date resources and ongoing support. Costs for the training will be in the region of £2000 for the 40 hour course; pro rata for shorter courses.
DARE is being supported by the South Nottinghamshire Substance Use Education Steering Group and Broxtowe, Gedling and Rushcliffe Borough Councils in developing and piloting the programme.
DARE Secondary School (‘Keepin it REAL’)
DARE UK Intend to launch a Secondary school programme in September 2010 which will be an adaptation of the highly successful DARE America Middle School programme, to ensure relevance and suitability for the UK. This will follow on from the DARE Primary curriculum and help young people in years 7 and 8 deal with the challenges they face during transition. It is expected that the programme will be delivered by teachers and DARE Officers.
Drug Education Courtesy of the Police
THE success of an anti-drugs programme in primary schools will lead to it being extended to secondary schools in 2010.
Pupils at Allenton Community Primary School were among the latest youngsters to get the message from former policemen involved in Dare – Drug Abuse Resistance Education.
Dave Gilbert is Dare's chief executive and also a former chief inspector with the Nottinghamshire force.
He said: "The need for our programmes has never been greater. Dare programmes include teamwork, role-play and discussion of topics including bullying, anti-social behaviour and peer pressure.
"We have been working with primary schools in Nottinghamshire, Yorkshire and Derbyshire and now we want the work to progress as the children get older and move into secondary school."
Ex-drug squad detective Colin Middleton worked with 68 pupils at the Allenton school during the autumn term. Mr Middleton helped them develop the knowledge and self-confidence to resist drugs, bullying and anti-social behaviour.
He is one of a hand-picked team of serving and retired officers working with the charity Dare on programmes which help youngsters to live safe and healthy lives.
Dare started in the UK in Nottinghamshire 16 years ago and is now used in 280 schools there.
The charity is funded by paid-for sessions and grants.
Mr Middleton, who joined Rotherham Borough police in 1966, had a long career in the force. When the South Yorkshire Police force was created in 1974, he was a detective in the drug squad and the murder squad.
He was also a member of the Regional Crime Squad before retiring in 1994.
Mr Middleton said: "I have seen a lot of terrible things in my work in the drug squad and working with Dare gives me the ideal opportunity to reach dozens of primary school youngsters before they are really exposed to the challenges they will face as they grow up.
"Dare aims to give them the knowledge and skills they will need to live safely in a world where drug use is common.
"The presence of a uniformed retired or serving officer in a classroom is a very powerful one and the children respond positively.
"We live surrounded by drugs, not all of them illegal. We are clear about what we mean about the word 'drug' and we educate about prescription drugs, volatile substances, alcohol, tobacco and illegal drugs like heroin and cannabis."
Pupils who took part in the sessions in Derby said they were pleased with their new knowledge and certificates.
Gary Hacker, 11, said: "Dare was a really pleasurable project where we learned about lots of drugs.
"We learned how to avoid them and all about peer pressure, bullying and anti-social behaviour. It also told us how to pick the right friends."
Fellow pupil Brooke Shields, 10, said: "Dare helped me to understand the consequences of making the right and wrong decisions in life."
Article taken from http://www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk/news/Drug-education-courtesy-police/article-1665852-detail/article.html
Alcohol
1 The Health Committee at the House of Commons have published a report about alcohol. The report spends a short chapter looking at alcohol education and information campaigns.
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200910/cmselect/cmhealth/151/151i.pdf
2 The campaign asks the question Why ‘Let Drink Decide?’ and will include a lot of online information as well as materials that parents will be able to pick in their local areas - for example from GPs.
Launching the campaign the Secretary of State for Children Schools and Families, Ed Balls, said:
“We want to encourage families to have open and frank discussions about the risks associated with drinking earlier, and to support this by giving parents the advice and information they have asked for. This is about making sure we put young people in charge of their future – not alcohol.”
The campaign includes a short video clip on youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgHOxmVE2_E&feature=player_embedded#
Mephedrone – an update on current knowledge
The key points:
-
Mephedrone and related drugs are currently legal and have no licensed medicinal use. The ACMD is currently reviewing evidence and is expected to advise Government in 2010.
-
Mephedrone is usually available as tablets or powder.
-
It costs around £3 for a dose and produces effects that users report are similar, but not identical to, ecstasy/MDMA. Bulk purchases up to 1kg are significantly discounted by retailers.
-
The effects last for around 2 to 3 hours when taken orally. After effects such as insomnia may last for several hours longer.
-
Negative effects appear to be dose related and are similar to ecstasy/MDMA. They include: a desire to redose, uncomfortable changes in body temperature (sweating and chills), heart palpitations, impaired short term memory, insomnia, tightened jaw muscles, grinding teeth (trismus and bruxia), and light headedness.
-
There has been little scientific investigation of mephedrone. Two A&E case reports from London confirmed the presence of mephedrone. In one, the patient presented with heart palpitations and blurred vision; body temperature was slightly below normal. The patient recovered approximately six hours after oral treatment with the benzodiazepine lorazepam. In the second case, mephedrone had been taken with other substances and the presentation was primarily due to ingestion of GHB.
-
No information is available on the interaction of mephedrone with other drugs
Source: Harry Sumnall and Olivia Wooding from the Centre for Public Health
Golf day
This year’s event will be at the Hollinwell Golf Club, who have been kind enough to allow the use of their marquee which will be in place throughout that week. Both the Golf and Summer Ball will take place on Thursday 24th June 2010 and booking details will soon be sent out by event organisers Winmarketing of Loughborough www.winmarketing.co.uk.
D.A.R.E. and the keepin’ it REAL CURRICULUM
Our new secondary resource is being tested and adapted for use in the UK and if all goes according to plan should be available to secondary schools in the UK from September 2010.
The D.A.R.E. keepin’ it REAL curriculum represents over 20 years of research by the Drug Resistance Strategies Project (DRS) about why our youth use drugs. Out of this research a US middle school substance abuse prevention programme, keepin’ it REAL, was developed collaboratively by Penn State University, Arizona State University, D.A.R.E. America, and schools around the US. Grounded in cultural norms, the programme teaches youth how to live drug-free lives confidently, drawing on the strengths of the students, their families and communities.
The acronym REAL is the central message of the curriculum and teaches youth four ways to
refuse drug offers -- Refuse, Explain, Avoid, and Leave. These strategies help youth stay away from drugs by preparing them to act decisively and responsibly in difficult situations. The curriculum teaches students how to resist drugs offers by presenting practical strategies that are easy for them to remember and use.
Philosophy
The interactive keepin’ it REAL curriculum is based on prevention theory and practice. The research originally begun in the late 1980’s, grew from the need to understand the adolescent perspective on drugs, drug offers, risk assessment and decision making. Our “from kids through kids to kids” approach started with this research about how students make healthy decisions and communicate clearly and effectively.
Applying a narrative prevention approach developed by Michelle Miller-Day and Michael Hecht, stories from thousands of youth were collected and transformed into a multimedia, multicultural prevention programme, keepin’ it REAL. The curriculum provides students with
effective ways to make decisions and refuse drugs—straight from other teens.
The curriculum consists of ten lessons aimed at teaching secondary school students resistance skills, risk assessment, decision making, social support and conflict resolution while targeting drug norms and attitudes. A series of five videos form the core of the curriculum, telling the “story” of keepin’ it REAL, first in an introductory video and then modelling resistance and other skills in the remaining four videos.
The keepin’ it REAL curriculum was first tested in a randomized clinical trial in 35 middle schools in Phoenix, Arizona. Over 6,700 students participated in the evaluation showing that keepin’ it REAL reduces alcohol, cannabis, and tobacco use, teaches anti-drug norms, and changes attitudes and expectations. As a result, keepin’ it REAL was selected as an evidence-based programme by SAMHSA and is listed on the National Registry of Evidence-based Programmes and Practices (NREPP).
Based on the effectiveness of the programme D.A.R.E America is now partnering with Penn State University to bring the curriculum to the classroom. DARE UK is working closely with DARE America and schools in the UK to adapt the programme for suitability here.
DARE in the Community
Our DARE Active resource, originally planned as our main secondary school resource will be targeted now for use in community settings, outside school hours and as a means of reinforcing all the key messages from DARE. Final refinements to the programme should be completed by March 2010.
