A SEVEN feet tall animated skeleton called Mr Green is heading up a new educational campaign aimed at tackling anti-social behaviour and cutting crime.

By RICHARD CORNWELL

Felixstowe editor

richard.cornwell@eveningstar.co.uk>

A SEVEN feet tall animated skeleton called Mr Green is heading up a new educational campaign aimed at tackling anti-social behaviour and cutting crime.

The initiative was launched with help from pupils from Deben High at Felixstowe and will be taken to 11 schools in the Suffolk Coastal area over the next few months.

Mr Green was created by Nigel Dixon, director, and Roger Pewtress, associated format producer, of Felixstowe-based East Coast Productions.

The pair say although people live in different villages, towns, cities and countries, where anti-social behaviour and perceptions of it may differ, the effects on communities are the same but through working together everyone can make changes.

Mr Green has already rubbed shoulders with royalty and senior politicians, won awards, made appearances all over the country and has even inspired similar work in Australia and New Zealand.

The Let's Get a Life campaign in the Suffolk Coastal area aims to promote “a safer, cleaner, greener place for us all to live” working with schools and the Safer Neighbourhood Teams, which have anti-social behaviour as a priority and specifically aim to make the public feel safer in their community.

With support from the Felixstowe and District SNT, the campaign looks at the relationship between public perception and feelings of safety and encourages people to look at themselves and how they judge others.

It aims to find solutions to problems by promoting self-responsibility, communication and respect.

Inspector Steve Gallant said: “The Let's Get a Life campaign is very important to me as it encourages the community to reflect upon themselves and to focus on how they can make a difference.

“This campaign has a positive effect on all members of the community from young to elderly and also helps to reduce crime.”

A Green Card stamp scheme has been developed to encourage individuals by rewarding positive activity and good behaviour, recognising the commitment of people who take extra steps towards making a difference in their school or community.