Villages targetted in new drug misuse campaign across the Horsham district

Teams of neighbourhood wardens have been working across the Horsham district to raise awareness of the dangers of drug misuse.
Pulborough Neighbourhood Warden Vanessa Green talking to a local young man at Pulborough Station about the drugs campaign. SUS-190807-171045001Pulborough Neighbourhood Warden Vanessa Green talking to a local young man at Pulborough Station about the drugs campaign. SUS-190807-171045001
Pulborough Neighbourhood Warden Vanessa Green talking to a local young man at Pulborough Station about the drugs campaign. SUS-190807-171045001

The Horsham District Council wardens worked in partnership with Sussex Police in a campaign to support national Drugs Awareness Week.

They targetted train and bus stations, youth clubs and schools to offer advice and safeguarding information.

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In Pulborough the wardens spent an afternoon at Pulborough train station, distributing information and talking to around 30 residents about how drugs can affect people’s lives.

The Horsham wardens attended a local youth support club where they discussed the harm illegal drugs can cause. They also held a street briefing in the Carfax in partnership with the police, undertook three joint patrols with Police Community Support Officers to drugs hotspot areas and patrolled Horsham Park and train station.

In Billingshurst the wardens dropped into the village youth club and visited areas where young people congregate in order to promote drug awareness.

The Storrington wardens spent time at the bus station where older school children get off the coaches, handing out drug information leaflets.

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In Southwater, the wardens gave a drugs awareness presentation to the Southwater Youth Group.

The wardens also attended Christ’s Hospital train station handing out information leaflets to both young people and adults.

The wardens in Steyning, Bramber and Upper Beeding visited Steyning Grammar School at the end of the school day, handing out drug information leaflets and talking to students about the dangers of drug use.

Horsham District Council cabinet member for community and wellbeing Tricia Youtan said: “Drug misuse is a growing issue and I am pleased that as a council we made a real success of the Drugs Awareness Week with so many of our Neighbourhood Wardens engaging in so much activity across our local area.

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“It was a really successful example of working in partnership with other third party agencies to run a number of effective activities, offering advice and support in our communities.”

In addition to the warden activity, there was a free information briefing session in Horsham’s Park Barn on Thursday for parents of secondary school age children, regarding drugs and criminal exploitation.

The evening was run by PC Darren Worsfold and Kirsty Lindgren from West Sussex County Council’s Children’s Services, with support from the council’s anti-social behaviour team.

For a downloadable information leaflet for parents visit www.horsham.gov.uk and search for ‘drugs information’ then click ‘support for parents’ https://www.horsham.gov.uk/communitysupport/community-support/support-for-parents.