A charity which provides personal safety and wellbeing training for school pupils has been awarded a £103,191 grant by Aberdeen City Council.
Absafe, which is dedicated to health, safety, and wellbeing education and advancement for children and young people, is to be given funding through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
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Councillor Alex McLellan, Convener of Aberdeen City Council’s Finance and Resources Committee which agreed the grant at a meeting on Thursday (6 July 2023), said: “I am sure this funding will assist Absafe to continue to provide opportunities for young people to learn about risk, and how to keep themselves safe, in a creative, enjoyable environment.”
Council Co-Leader and Committee Vice-Convener Councillor Ian Yuill said: “Absafe provides an inclusive way for young people to find out potential issues they can be faced with and how they can safely navigate and negotiate their way through them.
“We are happy to support Absafe to continue to carry out this important role.”
Louise Richardson, chief executive officer of Absafe, said: “Absafe is delighted to be awarded the money from Aberdeen City Council. The staff have worked tirelessly to ensure our children, young people and community learn ways to stay safe and free from harm.
“We would also like to thank the councillors for their support and acknowledgement for the work that the Absafe team have done at the Absafe Community Hub. The funding has come at a vital time to ensure that we can continue the great work and keep our communities safe.”
Absafe educates children and young people about personal safety and wellbeing from its Community Hub which mimics eight real-life environments and experiences including traditional topics such as road safety and home safety. It also has experiences which have become more prevalent in recent years such as cyber security, risk of vaping, pro-social behaviour, responsible alcohol consumption, and mental wellbeing.
The Hub has rooms designed as a park, beach, bedroom, kitchen, and other environments where the young people are taken on an adventure while gaining lifesaving skills.
The charity’s aim is to empower our young users by giving them the skills and knowledge to become aware and responsible for their own safety and wellbeing that when situations arise in their life, they have practiced for it in a safe environment and know how to handle situations, both physically and mentally. The youngsters also learn about mental health and emotional wellbeing as well as pro-social behaviour.
The UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund started last year (2022) and invited local councils to apply for funding for projects across three areas – community and place, supporting local business, and people and skills. Following a successful application, funding worth up to £7.1million was allocated to Aberdeen City Council for an initial three-year period.
