DADs initiative official launch
Event Location: Willerby Manor Hotel, Hull
Event Date: 29/06/2001
Event Time: 0900-1630hrs
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L to R Keith Helliwell (National Drugs Czar), Councillor Pat Ellis & Paul Thomas
1st DAD's Conference at the Willerby Manor Hotel, titled "from the bottom up - working in positive partnerships".
This was the first of three events in two days, to launch DAD's, we had overall funding support from the Hull City Council West Area Committee. NHS Direct, Tees, East & North Yorkshire sponsored the conference and exhibition; furthermore HANWaG kindly sponsored thirty delegates from local Neighbourhood Watch Groups. The aim of the conference was two-fold, firstly, to promote the issue of drug awareness, and secondly, to promote a positive way forward in working in partnerships for the benefit of communities. Over one hundred delegates attended the conference from a myriad of organisations, both statutory and voluntary. The invited speakers covered issues of the regional drugs strategy, illegal drug misuse, drug education, pregnancy and drugs, organisations supporting voluntary groups, sports development & social divide and DAD’s. Of particular interest was the keynote presentation by Keith Hellawell, in his role as National Drugs Co-ordinator (Drugs Czar), whom accepted an invitation to the conference following a visit from the DAD’s organisational committee to London, early in 2001. During his presentation he intimated that the DAD’s concept had the potential to go national. The official launch of DAD’s coincided with his arrival at the conference; this followed a walk-about of the Neighbourhood Watch Community with local Councillor Pat Ellis and PC Graham Scrivener.
The conference was widely covered in the Hull Daily Mail, Yorkshire Post, Radio Humberside and Calendar TV. We also received support from KIT whom filmed the event, and has regularly featured it on their local interactive television service.
The success of the conference was in part due to the Kingston upon Hull City Council Sports and Special Events team, whom provided expertise and support before and during the conference, and in particular the delegates were very supportive and appreciative of the speakers and the content of their presentations. Everyone involved in the conference particularly found the presentation of the DAD’s team with their children very emotional, which concluded the successful launch of the DAD’s concept.
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