Pupils in rural areas learn about world cultures thanks to Proceeds of Crime Act funding

Pupils at West Alvington Church of England Academy have recently enjoyed some special lessons as part of their cultural diversity workshops.

The interactive lessons were provided by Tiny Travels and paid for with community funds received from the Proceeds of Crime Act scheme (POCA). This fund allows cash and assets seized from criminals to be redistributed to good causes in local communities. 

PC Ruth Lee works as part of the South Devon Diverse Communities Team and went along to West Alvington Academy to see the sessions being delivered.

PC Ruth Lee explained: “Tiny Travels offer interactive cultural learning sessions for primary and nursery school children. It was my suggestion to Kate, the founder and director of Tiny Travels, to apply for some POCA funding. The company were successful in obtaining £700 and there was a clear need for support; I believed that rural South Devon schools could really benefit.

“Two sessions were delivered at West Alvington Academy followed by world culture lessons for pupils at All Saints' Thurlestone Church of England Academy.  

“Pupils learnt about skin tone differences, human evolution in Africa and that we are all humans with different appearances and different life experiences. Pupils also heard that you can’t tell where someone was born or their cultural heritage by looking at them so you shouldn’t assume someone is or is not British."

She continued: “The children were also given insights into language such as ‘Pyjamas’ being a Hindi word and the fact that certain foods have Inca origins, coffee is from Ethiopia and tea is originally from China. Kate from Tiny Travels had all these items with her so the children could see them and they also sang a song saying ‘hello’ in many different languages.

“The session also focussed on kindness and explored how children should tell a trusted adult if they hear others saying something unkind, such as someone being bullied for their ethnicity. The pupils got to play with items from different countries and there were clothes to try on, musical instruments to play and lots of bright coloured objects to touch and explore – they clearly loved it.”

“I thought the sessions were great because they were interactive and memorable for the kids; a really good use of POCA funds.”

If you think your local charity or community group could benefit from POCA funding, distributed by Devon and Cornwall Police, please get in touch with your local neighbourhood police team. 

For more information about Tiny Travels please visit their website Tiny Travels | Cultural Education Sessions.