Leading child protection charity, Eighteen And Under, has been recognised for the groundbreaking work they do with senior citizens.

The charity was shortlisted in the ‘older people’ section of the Community Care Awards 2006 for innovation in social care and received a certificate at the awards ceremony in London last week.

In the last twelve months, Eighteen And Under has developed their multi award winning VIP (Violence Is Preventable) children’s personal safety and abuse prevention programme to work with older people in the community. The programme is delivered to senior citizens in sheltered housing complexes, care homes and social clubs over a six-week period.

It teaches them about all aspects of safety and health, tackles fear of crime and raises awareness about how to deal with different situations, including abuse. The programme is dynamic and interactive and uses songs, games, quizzes, activities and worksheets to make learning fun and informative.

Evaluations have shown a marked reduction in fear of crime and a greater confidence in the role of the police who attend many of the sessions to answer questions that may arise.

Laurie Matthew, Coordinator of Eighteen And Under said, ‘We’re amazed and delighted that a charity with the name Eighteen And Under has received such tremendous recognition for the work we do with senior citizens. Hopefully the raised profile this brings will help us to raise the funding we need to fully develop the programme and roll it out across the country.’

For more information about the VIP programme, please visit www.violenceispreventable.org.uk or call 01382 206222.