Testimonials

Free Kids’ competition

Reg. Charity No: 1049059


	What People Say About Us


	“The key message of the day is ‘choice’. "It really makes the students think about the consequences of making the wrong choices. Because they are hearing it from professionals, the message has far greater impact."


		What a brilliant day all the kids had not to mention the staff. We all got a lot out of the day. My tutor group, 8MJn were absolute stars, they asked a lot of valuable questions and they were all grinning throughout the day. They met lots of great characters and were given a lot of information, but it was done in a way that they got the most out of it. The trips to the prison cell van and the transport van were memorable, I don't think the girls will want to ride in the transport ever again. I bet this day will be one they are still talking about for years to come. So well done PMNW team for a fantastic day showing real consequences for wrong choices!Bridlington School Sports College, 2nd May 2008 Miss Jackson



			“We are very grateful to the different agencies who came together to make the day a success here at the school. “Particular thanks must go to the Prison! Me! No Way team, the Prison Service, the Prison Service Dog Team, O2 Nuisance Call Bureau, North Yorkshire Police, North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service and North Yorkshire Magistrates,” - Helen Cooper, Head of Citizenship and PHSE at Tadcaster Grammar School- read article (external link)

“PMNW helps young people to recognise that they have a choice about how they want to live their lives. The Crime & Safety Awareness Days offer an intense and unusual learning experience for the students and give them an understanding of the meaning of personal freedom, liberty and citizenship, which can make a real difference.” Ken Wilson, Community Relations Officer at Tate & Lyle (external link)

The Prison Me No Way (PMNW) Trust has been in existence since 1993 and aims to raise awareness among young people of the causes and consequences of crimes. Through education PMNW aims to deal with the common misconceptions of imprisonment, and to dissuade young people away from crime.

To date the charity has reached in excess of 4.5 million young people with very positive results. How? By running regular workshops and distributing questionnaires with schools, along with other agencies such as the police, ambulance, fire brigade, magistrates, drug awareness, alcoholics anonymous, youth offending unit, and others.

Surveys conducted afterwards have shown very encouraging results. 83% of the children attending said they found the presentations informative, 88% said having heard what prison is really like they are determined not to go there and 80% said they now felt much less likely to commit crime. All in all, these workshops are extremely rewarding and worthwhile to take part in.”

Great stuff, but where does O2 fit in?

O2’s Nuisance Call Bureau is lucky enough to be involved in the Trust’s crimes days. On these days, the NCB helps run workshops, role plays, and question and answer sessions for young people. The NCB talks to them about all the major mobile phone safety issues - these include nuisance calls, bullying, and chat rooms. In some cases they’ve taken children out to see a true to scale prison cell which is in actual fact a van that as been converted to look as much as possible like the real thing.

Well worth it

The reactions to the NCB presentations have been very positive – pupils ask plenty of questions and the NCB team encourage them to do so. On occasions, the NCB team have had young people approach them privately about an existing situation either within their family or school. They give as much advice as they’re able to and point them in the right direction to get further assistance.

If schools would like more information on mobile phone safety they can contact Customer care or email ncb@o2.com

So says Heather Rabbatts CBE,

Chair of the O2 Media Literacy Task Force (external link)