Hundreds from Gloucester take part in Community Sports and Fun Day

Hundreds of people from Gloucester attended the Better Together Community Sports and Fun Day last week.

More than 500 people gathered at Ribston Hall High School on Thursday (28 July) for an afternoon involving sports tournaments in basketball, football and netball. Other activities included a climbing wall and a tug-of-war competition, as well as a top barrister being on hand and giving guidance and advice regarding stop and search.

Representatives from Gloucestershire Constabulary, including the cadets and the mounted section, were also at the event to chat to visitors and explain more about their different roles.

The event was organised by the Community Legitimacy Panel and Gloucestershire Constabulary to celebrate the wide diversity in our communities and to build trust between the constabulary and the communities it serves.

Teddy Burton, chairman of the CLP, emphasised the need for the police and the community to have positive interactions. He said: “When most people interact with the police, it will be in stressful situations.

“But since the job of keeping people safe from harm requires an interdependence between the police and the communities it serves, events such as this one are essential in building trust by just interacting on a human level through sports, music, sharing a meal and also having honest conversations about our rights and duties.”

Superintendent Jane Probert said: “This was a fantastic event showing once again that we are better together and that we have more in common than we have differences.

“It was a joy to see so many people from a wide variety of backgrounds coming together and learning more about each other through fun activities, games and sports.

“Our communities have a rich heritage of drawing people together regardless of background and our great diversity only helps to make us stronger.”