Brewery helps in awareness day

THERE were beer goggles, role play, quizzes and a whole range of other activities at the Denes High School, in Lowestoft, as year nine pupils enjoyed an alcohol awareness day.

Organisations from across the Waveney area joined together at the school on Wednesday last week to teach pupils in a fun way about alcohol, the risks associated with it, and where to get support and information. The pupils were also encouraged to explore activities outside of school that they can get involved with.

Representatives from the fire and emergency service, police and community support officers, ambulance service, Connexions and Dreamworx, NORCAS, the Waveney Community Forum and Waveney Women's Health Information Centre were all in attendance to provide a different insight for the pupils.

An introductory talk about responsible attitudes to alcohol was conducted by Emma Hibbert, head of corporate affairs at Adnams.

'It is really great to be involved in this alcohol awareness day,' she said. 'It is brave of the school to get Adnams in and we want to congratulate them for starting the education - that alcohol is there to be enjoyed in moderation - at this age.'

Paul Shuckford, of the East Anglian Ambulance, said: 'It's nice to get involved in the school, especially with youngsters at such an early stage. We hope it will have an effect.'

Donna Dodson, head of the personal development team at Denes, explained that the day actually came about after students suggested the idea.

'Last year the police came in to speak about alcohol to year 10. We analysed how it went and they said it should be done in year nine. They also gave some other ideas that they thought the students would enjoy,' she said.

'The pupils have really enjoyed it. There have been all sorts of specialisms pulling together,

not just the school, and the community have done themselves proud by getting the

young people positive, with a 'can do'

attitude.'