The valuable sessions that took place ensured a total of 420 pupils from Reception to Year 6 gained essential life skills, and were delivered by guest speakers such as a real Crime Scene Investigator and St Mellons Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs), as well as representatives from South Wales Fire and Rescue, South Wales Police’s Mounted Section and GoSafe.
Child Safety Week was committed to providing key information on safety, sustainability and emergency services, and was organised by the Lovell Social Value team.
Throughout the week, the pupils took part in themed days covering forensics and crime scene investigation, construction health and safety, water and ocean awareness, emergency services, online and community safety, road safety and sustainable travel, and environmental sustainability.
Activities included fingerprinting to discover how detectives used fingerprints to solve crimes and the Walk to School Challenge. This challenge was a special highlight of the week, as each day 55 pupils walked to school and filled out walking activity diaries. These pupils were then given reusable water bottles and certificates by Lovell, in recognition of their achievements.
The programme generated a measured social value of over £10,000, which demonstrates the developer’s commitment to meaningful community impact. With the active involvement of the police and fire departments, the event was a success in increasing safety awareness and boosting pupils’ confidence.
Sian Ritchie, Deputy Headteacher at Willowbrook Primary School, said: “School was buzzing with excitement during Child Safety Week. Pupils took part in a wide range of engaging and educational activities designed to promote safety awareness in our community.
“Highlights included a fascinating forensics workshop, an insightful session for KS2 on online safety led by our local PCSOs, and a talk about construction site safety by Lovell. Our younger pupils were thrilled to meet the Police Mounted Section and pupils also loved trying on real police and fire service equipment, giving them a fun and interactive glimpse into the roles of our emergency services. The week wrapped up with all pupils exploring the GoSafe team's police bike and van.
“We are very grateful to Lovell for organising Child Safety Week. The children thoroughly enjoyed all the activities, and it was a great opportunity for them to be educated on important safety measures.”
Gemma Clissett, regional partnerships director at Lovell, said: “At Lovell we take our role in supporting the community very seriously, so we are proud to have hosted this event for Willowbrook Primary School. Teaching children about how to stay safe in their community is vital, and it was so rewarding to see the pupils engaged with each workshop.
“A huge thank you goes out to the St Mellons PCSOs, South Wales Fire and Rescue, South Wales Police and GoSafe for sharing their expertise and helping us make this event so impactful.”
Cllr Lynda Thorne, Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities at Cardiff Council, said: “It’s great to see Lovell supporting initiatives like Child Safety Week and bringing real added value to our communities. This event gave pupils in St Mellons the chance to learn vital life skills in a fun and engaging way, while also strengthening links between schools, emergency services, and local partners.”
The St Mellons Community Living Project is being built by Lovell for Cardiff Council and will provide high-quality, independent living accommodation for older people. The £17.2m development will deliver a total of 60 one and two-bedroom, self-contained apartments for social rent and a wide range of communal facilities.
