Children help police to promote campaign to help safeguard emergency workers

The winning poster design was from was Annan and Eskdale Youth Group Credit: Police Scotland

Young people in Dumfries and Galloway have been taking part in a competition to promote the safeguarding of emergency workers.

During the year 2021 - 2022 there were 7,858 assaults on emergency workers in Scotland, an increase of 12%. This equates to 22 emergency workers being assaulted every day in Scotland.

In March this year, the Dumfries and Galloway Division of Police Scotland joined forces with Dumfries and Galloway Council, NHS Dumfries and Galloway, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, Scottish Ambulance Service and Scottish Prison Service launched the Dumfries and Galloway ‘Your Safety Matters’ campaign.

The campaign aims to raise awareness of the importance of safeguarding emergency workers and frontline staff across the county by:

  • Ensuring a safe, healthy and respectful workplace free from violence and abuse.

  • Educating communities on the impacts faces by frontline and emergency service workers.

Young people across Dumfries and Galloway were encouraged through their schools and youth groups to design posters to help promote the Your Safety Matters.

With dozens of responses, judges whittled down the designs to a final 14, with the young artists invited to the Your Safety Matters awards.

Chief Inspector Stephen Bell, from Police Scotland said:  “It is important that we break the cycle of violence in our communities.

“We have so many young talented people across Dumfries and Galloway and this led to the competition being launched.

“The overall quality of the entries was exceptionally high and made it difficult for the judges."

The awards evening took place at The Bridge on Glasgow Road in Dumfries on Thursday 8 December.

The winning poster design was from was Annan and Eskdale Youth Group.

Lockerbie Primary School also won an award for a short film produced by the children.