Thousands of pupils from schools across the borough have been learning invaluable life skills as part of the annual Junior Citizen scheme.

The three-week initiative, run in partnership by Barking and Dagenham Council and the Metropolitan Police, gives children who are about to start secondary school advice on a range of subjects in a fun and entertaining way.

Organisations including the Metropolitan Police, London Fire Brigade, London Ambulance Service, The Royal National Lifeboat Institute, and Transport for London provided bitesize sessions on issues such as staying safe near water or home fire safety.

Each day, youngsters faced a different challenging workshop and were awarded points for how they handled the scenario and interacted with each other. At the end of the scheme, the team with the most points was crowned the winner. 

This year’s champion was Warren Junior School.

Teaching youngsters skills such as how to do basic first aid or what to do if there is a fire in the home could save peoples’ lives, so schemes like this are crucial to building a better united community.

Councillor Evelyn Carpenter, Cabinet Member for Educational Attainment and School Improvement, said: “We’re delighted thousands of our borough’s young people have been given this opportunity to learn some truly invaluable life skills that they can take with them into adulthood – but also use at home.

“Teaching youngsters skills such as how to do basic first aid or what to do if there is a fire in the home could save peoples’ lives, so schemes like this are crucial to building a better united community.”

Now in its eighth year in Barking and Dagenham, more than 2,100 youngsters from 27 schools took part this year. 

Detective Superintendent Shabnam Chaudhri, from the Metropolitan Police, said: “All the young people that take part in Junior Citizens are absolute winners. Young people are our future and Junior Citizens is a fantastic opportunity for these smart young kids to gain life skills that build a better life.”