Great Yarmouth, Gorleston and Caister Community Alcohol Partnerships (CAP) have been awarded an Innovation Award for their pioneering project bringing vital diversionary and educational content to young people detained in police custody.  

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This unique initiative, a collaboration with Norfolk Constabulary, is set to revolutionise how at-risk youth are engaged during a critical moment in their lives.

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The award, sponsored by Asda, was given by Community Alcohol Partnerships (CAP) at its annual awards ceremony in the Houses of Parliament on  April 2025.  CAP is a national organisation that sets up and supports local partnerships which aim to reduce alcohol harm in children and young people, improve their health and well-being and enhance their communities.

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Leveraging a decade of established partnerships, the Norfolk CAPs facilitated the integration of video screens into custody cells, allowing for the display of targeted information on alcohol and substance misuse, mental health, body image, and self-esteem.  

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This ground-breaking project has never been seen before and provided an opportunity to reach young people at a crucial moment.  

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The videos will supplement the work of Norfolk Police offering additional information on local support services and encouraging self-referral after release.

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Quantitative data on the project's impact will be available later in 2025 but figures from the previous year indicate that over 3,000 young people aged 10-17 were processed through Norfolk custody suites.  

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The Innovation Award is sponsored by Asda, a long-term funder of CAP, who has also committed to providing funding to CAP’s Innovation Fund for three years.

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James Barge, Senior Director Corporate Affairs, PR and Community Relations at Asda presented the award to the CAPs. He said: "We're delighted to present this award to such a ground-breaking initiative, which has already made a significant impact to the Great Yarmouth, Gorleston and Caister communities. The work of the Norfolk CAPs shows why we're so proud to fund CAP's Innovation Fund and support innovative work in educating and engaging with young people when they are most reachable and when the impact for the community can be greatest."

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CAP co-ordinator Sergeant Dan Smith, comments: We are very proud to accept this award on behalf of the strong partnerships across Great Yarmouth and believe that by working together, we can achieve the best outcomes for our community.  CAP provides a vital structure and framework, bringing multi-agency partners together to tackle issues that matter most to our communities such as underage drinking.  We embrace technology in problem solving and utilising these screens at the time when young people are most reachable is a logical and effective way to share the important messages.”  

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Kate Winstanley, Director of CAP comments: "Great Yarmouth CAP has identified a unique opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of young people, and their project has the potential to become a model for best practice across the country. Huge thanks to Asda for funding this project, and many others like this.”

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The project's success is expected to lead to its adoption in other police forces nationwide, further amplifying its impact on young people at risk.

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For media information, please contact: Samantha Patel, Communications Manager - sam@communityalcoholpartnerships.co.uk