First of all, can I thank all of you for coming along to this event today; On behalf of Belfast City Council I would like to welcome you to City Hall. As you know City Hall has recently reopened after an 11 Million Pound refurbishment, it is events like this one that ensure our City Hall is a venue for all our citizens.
I don’t think we should forget why we are here today. We are here to celebrate the fact that you all have completed our ‘Off-Limits’ training programme. I hope that you found the training useful and hope you have gained new skills that will support your work in off-licences acrossBelfast. And hopefully it supports our partnership work to tackle the issue of underage and on-street drinking.
During this period of training the SORT Training, FRLT and the Council’s Get Home Safe Project delivered 4 training sessions during January and February 2010. Off-Licences from acrossBelfastsent members of staff, 56 participants successfully completed the course. During this period of training we also had members of local community groups and officers from the PSNI attend and complete the training. The attendance by local community groups and Police has provided a great platform for engagement between local community activists and off-licenses.
On behalf of Belfast City Council I would like to reaffirm our support for the Off-Limits training programme. The programme is evidence that Belfast City Council and Community Safety Partnership is working hard to ensure responsible retailing of alcohol inBelfast. As you know, the programme is aimed at staff who provide a vital service to members of the public across the city; it helps to build confidence and knowledge for staff who are at the cold-face, promoting the local economy.
We all know that the problem of underage and binge drinking has become a serious issue for us all. I hope that this training programme and other initiatives developed and delivered by the Get Home Safe Partnership will help reduce Underage and Binge Drinking in our society and ultimately create a safer city.
I hope that the Off-Limits training has given you information in relation to your legal responsibilities when selling alcohol; it should have also focused your attention on the aspects of alcohol consumption and the four key rules to responsible retailing;
- Be Alert
- Be Firm
- Be Legal
- Be Careful
from your feedback we are delighted to hear that you have found the course to be relevant and interactive as well as informative.
As a Council we don’t want to spoil anyone’s fun but it is important that people remember to stay safe and be responsible when consuming alcohol. The training programme that you have all been successful in completing is instrumental in providing you with the confidence to provide a first class service for those who use the off-licence premises that you all work in.
Let me finish by reiterating my support for the Off-Limits Training Programme. We must continue to work closely with our partners in Off-Licensed Premises across the city, we must also continue to enhance skills and instil confidence in you who are at the cold-face with customers.
I want to thank you all once again for your commitment to this training programme. It shows a solid commitment from the Off-Licence Trade that you want to be responsible with the sell of alcohol.
Remember our key messages:
- Be Alert
- Be Firm
- Be Legal
- Be Careful
Councillor Dr Ian Adamson OBE