The Safer Nottinghamshire Drug and Alcohol team welcomed Edyta Wykurz and Krzystof Demczuk from Sosnoweic, Poland who visited many projects during their stay including a boxing workshop at the Healdswood Community Centre, aimed at reducing its participant's alcohol consumption. They also visited a push bike maintenance project in Basford, Nottingham.

These projects are instrumental in engaging people in activities and reducing the likelihood of them getting involved with anti-social behaviour.

Out of all the projects visited, Edyta and Krzystof were particularly impressed with the work of Josh, whose commitment to reducing youth crime, anti-social behaviour and preventing problematic substance misuse in young people have led him to develop initiatives in the Ashfield area that support young people at risk.

As part of the exchange project, Josh will be visiting Poland on 26th April to visit similar projects. It is hoped the trip will provide fresh ideas that may be replicated here.

Josh said,

“This opportunity will allow me to share good practice with our EU partners but more importantly, I will be able to experience provision being delivered with much smaller budgets. On my return, I feel that this will help us provide much better value for money services.”