The Community Trust’s successful Boots on Ground programme is helping to reduce anti-social behaviour in the town.
The programme has been going for the last three months, providing activities for youngsters on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings.
An event put on by the Boots on Ground team was staged in Queen’s Park on Friday featuring football, cricket and rounders, together with Chester’s speed cage.
Speaking at the event, Bex White, the Boots on Ground project manager, said: “It’s been going really well. We’ve been welcomed by the youths. We didn’t expect to be welcomed as well as we have done. They have engaged with us.
“We work in partnership with Blend on a Friday evening. It is a youth club on West Bars which is open from 7pm to 9pm on Friday and we’re seeing numbers of 100+, which is fantastic.
“They’re good kids, behaving and having a good time. We want them to be comfortable with us so that if they do need help, they’ll come to us.”
With the programme coming up for a three-month review, Bex added: “Hopefully we can expand to other areas that need it.”
PC Adam Collins, who is a familiar figure at the Technique Stadium on matchdays, was also at Queen’s Park for the event and he was full of praise for the strides being made by Boots on Ground.
He said: “It’s another great Trust project. We are trying to cut down some of the anti-social behaviour in the area and this stops them getting in trouble.
“The Community Trust is leading the way in terms of initiatives. It’s the power of the badge, making that difference and getting that community support.”
As a dedicated football officer for Derbyshire Police, PC Collins points out that his role extends far beyond matchdays. “It’s about doing things like this in the community,” he said. “It’s a Safer Neighbourhood role, really, but with a football twist.”
