Castleward community celebrates annual “Better Together” summer event success

Organized by Fatima Eltinay, a dedicated Neighbourhood Watch coordinator and active member of the community, the event was a tremendous success, highlighting the strength and unity of the Castleward neighbourhood.

Supported by Derbyshire Neighbourhood Watch, the event featured a variety of activities designed to engage and bring the community together along with partners who offered amazing advice on keeping safe.

Children enjoyed participating in mini detective games, where they could earn their Mini Detective Certificate and police sticker by solving puzzles and getting dressed in police uniforms for a picture with the Derbyshire Safer Neighbourhood Team. The team also provided bike marking services and shared valuable crime prevention advice.

We had DCC Recycling team, Nathan Wood and Kevin Douglas talking all about recycling with a great stand to get involved with.

A standout attraction was the Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service, who brought along a fire truck and equipment for the children to explore. Young attendees had the chance to dress up in firefighter gear, sit in the truck, and ask firefighters questions about their work. The firefighters also offered crucial fire prevention tips to residents. Although the juggling skills the crew had were not quite as impressive as their firefighting skills!

Sporting Communities added to the fun by organising a range of games for children, including a massive tug-of-war contest that saw participation from both the Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service and the Derbyshire Safer Neighbourhood Team.

The event also featured Andre from Introverted Moves, a juggler who entertained and taught children, along with glitter tattoos and candy floss from Abi Entertainment.

In addition to the fun and games, the event emphasized health and wellbeing. A men's mental health expert Dave Powell from Time To Talk was on hand to provide advice, along with free health checks from Dawn at Live Well that included blood pressure measurements.

A bric-a-brac stand offered a variety of free items, including an impressive collection of high-quality books for residents to take and swap.

The children’s tombola, art stand, and carnival mask creation station were also hugely popular.

The event also included a vital segment on cybercrime from Derbyshire Police, where parents received guidance on keeping their children and themselves safe online.

Lynn Farrar, Chair of Derbyshire Neighbourhood Watch, praised the event, saying: "This really is a jewel in our crown, showing how when communities come together, we can create something so special.

"We are already planning to go bigger and better for next year."

For more information or to get involved in next year's event, please contact [email protected].