Thousands flock to successful community summer fun days

Nottinghamshire Police’s popular Mini Police Fun Days have hit new heights - with record numbers of people enjoying a summer crammed full of entertainment and activities.

The events have been very popular with families and diverse communities, with this year seeing record visitor numbers since their launch in 2024.

It is estimated that around 4,000 people attended the four events over the summer, which took place at the Forest Recreation Ground and Melbourne Park in Nottingham, Carr Bank Park in Mansfield, and The Canch Park in Worksop between May and September.

The free and interactive fun days support building trust and confidence across Nottinghamshire, enable members of the public to learn about the different aspects of policing, and help children to see the police as friendly and approachable.

Visitors enjoyed dusting for fingerprints with the crime scene investigation team, getting hands-on with the dive team's equipment, activating police car sirens, and driving a go-kart while ‘impaired’ with beer goggles, among many other activities.

Teams including safeguarding, fraud and cyber-crime, and crime prevention chatted with families and shared advice on how to keep safe and report an incident.

The highlight of each event was a live demonstration from the dog section, where visitors could watch police dogs search for equipment and apprehend suspects.

Children and adults could also have a go at dressing up like a police officer, by trying on different items of kit including hats, tactical vests, and jackets.

At Carr Bank Park, the bride and groom from a nearby wedding took a moment to soak up the atmosphere and posed for photos with officers.

Dozens of visitors also signed up to the force’s community messaging system, known as Notts Alerts.

Members of the public who register for the free service can receive information to their email inbox, including crime prevention advice and alerts about incidents and antisocial behaviour in their local area.

The events are in addition to the force’s Mini Police schools programme, which is designed to increase Year 5 pupils' understanding of antisocial behaviour and the law, as well as promoting values of kindness, respect, and inclusivity.

Mini Police is a nine-week classroom scheme that provides schoolchildren with the opportunity to build rapport, trust, and confidence in their neighbourhood officers.

Each lesson is packed with information about the law, as well as establishing right from wrong, along with quizzes, games, activities, and group discussions.

Sergeant Vanessa Wake is part of Nottinghamshire Police’s engagement team, which delivers the Mini Police programme.

She said: “Our community fun days have proved really popular this summer and have proved a great success.

“These events have been so well attended this year that we’ve reached a new milestone for total events and visitor numbers, which is great to see.

“This is all about helping members of the public to learn about different aspects of policing, providing expert crime prevention information, and for children to meet their local, friendly officers.

“It’s really important to engage with young people to break down barriers, prevent future criminality, and provide them with opportunities.

“These events are a useful tool to help us achieve this by building trust and positive relationships from a young age.”

“We are proud of the community connections we have forged and look forward to building on this success.”