Alcohol Awareness Education For Hampshire School Pupils

The BII Schools Alcohol Awareness Project was launched in 2007 to encourage young people to adopt responsible attitudes to alcohol. It is a partnership framework that brings together the licensed retail industry and schools, in order to raise awareness of personal responsibility and the importance of responsible drinks retailing, through education.

Thanks to sponsorship by BII, year 8 pupils at Cove School in Farnborough are using classroom materials, including interactive quiz sheets, which educate them about the dangers of alcohol misuse and the serious impact it can have on their lives. The fun and colourful quiz sheets highlight the importance of the hospitality sector in modern Britain, as well as the range of interesting and rewarding career opportunities it offers. They also draw attention to the impact that irresponsible or illegal sales of alcohol may have on both the retailer and the purchaser.

Cathie Smith, Director of BII’s awarding body BIIAB, and Michelle Luscombe, BII’s Corporate Communications Manager, visited the school to see first-hand how the pupils were making use of the materials. Cathie commented: “BII firmly believes that the route to a cultural change in attitude around alcohol starts with education. It’s so important that we begin getting the message across to young people as soon as they are first introduced to or become aware of alcohol.

“Our visit to the school has been a privilege. BII’s UK-wide remit means that most of our work impacts on a national scale so it’s great to see one of our initiatives in place locally. Now that we have a tangible connection with Cove School, we look forward to continuing our relationship with the staff and the pupils and doing what we can to support them.”

Carol King, Curriculum Leader for Personal and Social Health and Economic Education (PSHEE) and Citizenship at Cove School, commented: “We use the project materials in our PSHEE lessons in year eight to support our work on alcohol awareness and are delighted to have a local company willing to help and sponsor us. The pupils really enjoyed using the materials."

BII has around 13,500 members and its remit is to promote and encourage professionalism, good employment practice and social responsibility within the licensed retail industry. It does this in many ways including through a portfolio of over 50 qualifications developed and administered through BIIAB.

Since its inception, the BII Schools Project has attracted more than 50 sponsors, ranging from large corporations to individual licensees. These sponsors have nominated over 125 schools across the UK to receive packs of the classroom materials, meaning that the project has reached more than 25,000 young people.

For more information visit www.schoolsproject.co.uk

Contact

Joanna Buston
Email: joannab@bii.org
Telephone: 01276 417863