Hill Crest School pupils give advice to Home Secretary

An answer to anti social behaviour

On Tuesday 10th February, Fabian Hamilton arranged for a group of Year 6 pupils from Hillcrest Primary School to meet Jacqui Smith the Home Secretary after a visit to the Houses of Parliament. This was the conclusion to an exciting initiative organised by the school in conjunction with PC Dave Brook well known in his local community for his work to prevent the spread of gang culture. The approach involves interesting children in physical activities and sport and thus channeling young peoples' energy, enthusiasm in ways that promote their personal development and maturity. PC Dave Brook has used the sport of Taekwon-do or kick karate with pupils at Hillcrest and introduced them to the achievment and films of Silvio Simac as a role model. As well as his sporting achievement Silvio Simac has now appeared in the popular film Transporter 3

Sgt Steve Shaw, Silvio Simac and PC Dave Brook accompany Hillcrest pupils to Westminster.

Hillcrest pupils wanted Jacqui Smith to know of the way that this approach could help reduce the attraction of street gangs for children in an urban community and to ask her to extend the approach in other parts of the country. For the Year 6 pupils involved, Tuesday was red letter day. A trip to London, a visit to Westminster, meeting their very own MP, and - to crown it all - their very own hero Silvio Simac turned up to go with them to meet the Home Secretary.

Read more about this exciting idea and see pictures of the visit in the press cutting from the Yorkshire Evening Post printed on the 12th February. and in the Leeds Weekly News on the 28th February.

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith with pupils from Hillcrest Primary School