Nottingham is launching its Child Friendly City programme at the Nottingham Council House for World Children's Day...
The launch will involve children from schools across the city and with partners, including the Nottingham charity Small Steps Big Changes. The city is aiming to become one of the first (perhaps the first) UNICEF accredited Child Friendly City in England. Last month Cardiff was announced as the UK’s first UNICEF accredited Child Friendly City.
The date also marks World Children’s Day with the theme of leisure, play and culture. That theme will be present in the launch with activities based around play on offer. These activities will be linked with the Child Friendly badges that children and young people previously selected and are adopting to deliver over the next two years.
Plans for World Children’s Day so far include schools across the city hosting activities with the community trusts of some of the professional sports clubs. (Nottingham Forest, Notts County, Notts County Cricket Club and Nottingham Rugby Club) and Children’s Rights Awareness assemblies.
Nottingham opened its consultation with the city’s children in the summer and autumn of 2022. The city’s children and young people got a chance to say what is important to them. They set some goals that they feel the city should work towards, which would make Nottingham more child friendly.
The goals are:
Safe and Secure: Children and young people said that they don’t feel safe enough going to parks, crossing roads or on the way to school, or feel safe online. Older young people want better relations with the police and officials.
Education and Learning: Children and young people said they feel pressure around their futures. They feel that they want more opportunities to further education and practical experiences.
Healthy: Children took a wider view of health. Many want more activities to support their general health and more education in how being active helps improve their mental health. Young people
recognise the links between healthy diets and healthy and active lives.
Equal and Included: The children and young people who took part want to see everyone treated equally and kindly.
More information about Child Friendly Nottingham
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