SCA News

Kids prepare for emergency

2012-05-20T12:02:00.000+01:00

SAFETY comes first in any emergency situation as youngsters visiting MK Safety Centre & Hazard Alley at Kiln Farm know only too well, reports the Milton Keynes Citizen.

Year 2 pupils from Stoke Goldington CE First School discovered the fun ways to prepare themselves for every type of emergency during their trip to the hands-on educational centre. Full of scenes from everyday life, MK Safety Centre & Hazard Alley highlight where dangers can sometimes crop up – such as on a building site, a garage forecourt, a railway line, a farm and a recreational lake, as well as a house. Guides at the centre took the youngsters around each scene, where hazards were explored and safe responses explained.

They had the chance to practice making 999 emergency calls too - an important skill for anyone in a time of crisis.

As part of a basic understanding of first aid, the youngsters were also introduced to the recovery position and seized the opportunity to put each other into the recovery position in the event of an accident. Pupils were joined by their friends from North Crawley CE School for the trip.

Acting Deputy Headteacher for both schools, Marie-Claire Parsons, said: “There was a huge amount for all the children to take in and learn from the morning at the Safety Centre. “I’d recommend it for a school visit.”

40,000 visitors at Dangerpoint

2012-05-20T11:58:00.000+01:00

During February, DangerPoint North Wales celebrated welcoming their 40,000th visitor with Nercwys Primary School.

Since opening in October 2005, DangerPoint has strived to continually develop the Centre, updating scenario’s where possible and keeping the delivery relevant and up-todate. Over the years, the Centre has developed from the Core programme delivery (5-11yrs) and introduced a number of new prorgrammes including ‘The Point’ (11-18yrs), DangerPoint + (50yrs +) and Now I Can Crawl (parent tours). These programmes have been tailored to meet the specific needs and requirements of groups.

For further information about these programmes, or to book a visit, please contact one of the team on 01745 850414.

Arson Reduction at Dangerpoint

2012-04-28T14:08:00.000+01:00

During recent months, DangerPoint has worked closely with North Wales Fire and Rescue Service’s Arson Reduction Team, to deliver messages on the risk of deliberate fire setting to over 1000 pupils across North Wales. Working in partnership with the North Wales Policing Teams, schools were nominated from areas which have been identified as experiencing issues with deliberate fire setting.

During a visit to the Centre, pupils received the full DangerPoint experience; exploring the interactive zones with one of our fully trained guides. Included in the visit, additional focus was given to the risks of deliberate fire setting and specifically the consequences for people and the local community.

Kevin Jones, Arson Reduction Team Manager said, “These additional tours have been extremely beneficial to the Arson Reduction Team, giving us the opportunity to take more time to focus on current issues, and to further educate young people on the consequences of arson. Small scale arson incidents such as grass and heather fires are a constant drain on our resources, with fire fighters often tied up for a considerable length of time trying to bring these fires under control. Not only are fire crews unavailable to attend other incidents but there is widespread damage to the environment and wildlife, and on occasions these fires can escalate quickly to put homes at risk and endanger the lives of people and livestock”.

The sessions were positively received by all visitors and we hope to work together again in the future to continue to deliver these important messages.

Warning Zone TV

2012-03-02T15:09:00.000Z

Warning Zone is the flagship project of Leicestershire & Rutland Crimebeat Ltd and first opened on 17th October 2006. Relaunched and relocated in on Frog Island, Leicester in 2011, the new centre combines vital messages in a single stimulating and memorable experience which helps to prepare youngsters for increased independence and their transition into early adolescence. The core programme aims to foster an understanding of risk, consequence of actions, peer pressure and personal responsibility.

Warning Zone has released a video about a typical visit which you can see on the new SCA webpage here.

Flashpoint on film

2012-01-06T12:14:00.000Z

Flashpoint Centre in Cornwall have produced a promotional film which you can watch here.

Centre Manager for SkillZone appointed

2012-01-03T10:53:00.000Z

Donna Potts has been appointed as the new Gloucestershire SkillZONE Centre Manager. Donna comes from a varied career background and will be using her experience as a primary school teacher to develop and shape SkillZONE into a fun, stimulating and educational experience for all visitors.

Donna has been working with colleagues to develop the storyboards that will be played out in the scenarios, while also showing schools, community groups and potential sponsors what SkillZONE has to offer. She can be contacted on 01452 753333 and donna.potts@glosfire.gov.uk.

Centre Manager to carry Olympic torch

2011-12-10T10:23:00.001Z

The Alliance are delighted to hear that Andy Townsend, our colleague and the manager of Bristol's Lifeskills Centre, will be a torchbearer for the London 2012 Olynpics.

Andy, 39, who is a former Paralympic Games volleyball competitor from 1992, said he was "amazed and privileged" to have been offered a place.

Further details can be found on BBC News, This is Bristol and Metro.

On the RADAR

2011-11-25T14:41:00.000Z

A new concept in the delivery of safety and lifeskills messages could be on its way to Northern Ireland.

RADAR (Risk Avoidance & Danger Awareness Resource), which is to be located in the Greater Belfast area, will provide a broad range of highly interactive safety focused educational experiences to young people from schools and youth groups from across Northern Ireland.

Representatives from a number of Northern Ireland government departments, private sector service providers and voluntary sector organisations have formed the Northern Ireland Safety & Lifeskills Education Centre (NISLEC) Partnership, to develop this innovative approach to improving the health and wellbeing of children and young people across Northern Ireland.

The RADAR facility will feature a series of lifelike, interactive installations that will illustrate dangerous situations and scenarios within a controlled and risk free environment, giving participants the opportunity to learn how to prevent, avoid or manage everyday hazards safely.

Speaking about the Project at the start of Road Safety week, Police Service of Northern Ireland Chief Constable, Matt Baggott said: “The Police Service of Northern Ireland is pleased to support this latest safety initiative aimed at reducing the number of deaths and serious injuries across Northern Ireland, irrespective of the cause.

“Figures indicate that there were around 731,000 attendances at Accident and Emergency facilities in Northern Ireland last year. Many of these were as the result of avoidable or preventable incidents, costing the health service an estimated £435 million. During the same period, 1,666 children (5-15yr olds) were admitted to hospital in Northern Ireland as the result of an accident in the home, costing the Health Service approx £3.8 million.

“In partnership with Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service, the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service, Department of the Environment and other key government departments, the PSNI have taken a lead position in driving this very worthwhile project forward.”

Peter Craig, Chief Fire Officer, Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service (NIFRS) added his support to the project saying: “Early intervention and education about safety issues will help the younger generation make smarter choices to keep them safe. In NIFRS we have a number of successful initiatives working with children and young people to educate them about the dangers of fire, road traffic collisions and other types of rescue situations and we know that the lessons young people learn early in life stay with them into adulthood.

“A dedicated Safety Centre that all the Emergency Services can use will enable us to deliver valuable safety messages in a shared venue for the benefit of our community.”

Northern Ireland Ambulance Service Chief Executive Liam Mc Ivor added his support for the initiative, saying: “Much of the operational activity of the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) involves responding to emergency calls following incidents that could have been avoided had dangers been recognized at an earlier stage.

“NIAS welcomes any initiative aimed at improving the skills of hazard recognition among the young people within our community.
Illustrating, in a safe environment, these dangers, and their potential outcomes, will, we believe, bring about a reduction in the number of incidents involving young people and improve overall safety within the community.”

For more information on the RADAR Centre, contact the Northern Ireland Safety & Lifeskills Education Centre (NISLEC) Partnership on 02890 901013

From Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service

Continued growth of Lifeskills Bristol

2011-10-21T15:57:00.000+01:00

In a review of the past year presented to the Safety Centre Alliance Annual General Meeting, Bristol Lifeskills Manager Andy Townsend reported on a successful year and several exciting new developments for the centre, which is based at the Create environment centre in Bristol.

"Our programmes for Year 6 pupils, adults with learning difficulties, special educational needs and older people are all running well with increased attendance figures year on year," said Andy, "and we are completely booked for the school year 2011-12."

Training

New developments include the option for special needs teachers, and Children's Centre staff, to be trained in centre scenarios to enable them to deliver sessions to groups themselves rather than relying on the volunteer team.

The year has not been without its disappointments however. With lottery funding for an independent living programme due to run out in December 2011, Lifeskills was hopefully of it being renewed, but a recent bid was unsuccessful.

"I am pleased that we have been able to set up a Safety Equipment Scheme in 21 Children's Centres in Bristol which will be rolled out over the coming months", added Andy.

Partnership

"We have also produced an accidental poisoning awareness scheme with campaign material which is being delivered in partnership with NHS Bristol and Avonsafe."

The centre recently hosted a Childhood Injury Symposium for child care providers, injury practitioners and academics in which 45 delegates participated.

Future plans

Despite the current financial climate, Andy and his team are continuing to make exciting plans for the future including:-

An Initial meeting with Think Family – a partnership working to work more effectively with higher risk families
Proposal to develop the drug scenario into Health Centre setting – to develop messages for use with other groups around access to healthcare, medication advice and much more
Planning for 2 Open Events next year for professionals working with Early Years and Older People

For further details on Bristol Lifeskills and to get in touch, please visit the website.

Fire and police film-set learning experience opens its doors in South Yorkshire

2011-10-14T07:29:00.000+01:00

Welcome to Lifewise in Rotherham

Fire and police film-set learning experience opens its doors in South Yorkshire

A brand new film-set style learning facility in South Yorkshire has opened its doors to hundreds of school children for the first time.

The new Lifewise centre in Hellaby, Rotherham will see thousands of the county’s school children learn vital life skills, including fire, road and personal safety tips.

Older people will also visit the centre as part of the new ‘Get Lifewise’ course, which aims to equip the county’s older citizens with the key safety information they need to stay safe in later life.

Lifewise is a life-size film set of a small town which is used to deliver safety messages to the public. It has been built in a unique partnership between South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue, South Yorkshire Police and South Yorkshire Safer Roads Partnership.

The new facility replaces Lifewise’s previous site near Magna, Rotherham which closed earlier this year. The Hellaby centre cost £215,000, with more than £200,000 in goods and services donated to the project by local businesses and the community.

The new centre’s larger size means it will now become home to members of the South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue (SYFR) and South Yorkshire Police community safety teams, allowing them to work in partnership under one roof for the first time.

The new site also offers greater revenue raising opportunities in the future, increasing the sustainability of the centre long term compared to the old site.

SYFR Head of Community Safety Phil Shilito said: “Lifewise is our flagship learning centre for delivering our fire and road safety educational programmes. We’ve worked very closely with the community, police and other partners to create a learning space which will more than pay for itself in terms of keeping young people safe and reducing future crime and emergency incidents.”

Head of Community Safety for South Yorkshire Police, Superintendant Eddie Murphy, said: “It became clear that some work needed to be done on the old Lifewise building and we saw this as an opportunity to put the money we would have spent on repairs to good use by creating a brand new centre. The result is that we can now deliver so much more in one place.”

Lifewise’s flagship education programme ‘Crucial Crew’ began last week, with 400 Barnsley school children taken through a scenario-based learning programme to learn about anti-social behaviour, fire safety, arson, road safety, first aid and safe travel on buses.

Each year every South Yorkshire school is invited to attend Crucial Crew and the scenarios are delivered by partners local to the school.

Contact details:

Lifewise
Kea Park Close
Hellaby Industrial Estate
Hellaby, Rotherham
South Yorkshire
S66 8LB

Tel: 01709 832 455
Website: www.lifewise999.co.uk
facebook: www.facebook.com/lifewisecentre

Gloucestershire Skillzone is born

2011-08-16T14:54:00.000+01:00

So what’s been happening since our re-launch event at end of June? Well, as you will see from the photo, all the old ground has been fully turned over and new foundations laid.

The steel frame is being fixed into the foundations and the real scale/size of the buildings will start to emerge. This will take up most of the contractor’s time over the next couple of months.

We see the centre as being very much a community resource and it is important that local groups, organisations and businesses are involved from the outset. We have been talking to them about how they could use the centre and the possibility of sponsoring an aspect of it. So far, the response has been very positive and we look forward to really engaging with them over the coming months.

Representatives from our contractor, Kier Moss, have visited schools in the area to discuss possible careers in the construction industry. They have also invited some local schools to take part in a project actually at the SkillZONE site to decorate the hoarding that will be going up around the construction site.

Talking of schools, we will be visiting schools throughout the county after the holidays to inform Headteachers and other influential school staff more about SkillZONE and the benefits it can bring them. Articles will be appearing on school staff e-bulletins in the new school year to encourage them to find out about what SkillZONE can offer.

For more information, please visit http://skillzone.glosfire.gov.uk/

Wrexham Healthy Schools supports experiential safety education

2011-08-12T22:33:00.000+01:00

Wrexham County Borough Council has always looked for ways to work in partnership with DangerPoint, to enable children and young people from our schools to visit the Centre. Our local schools have found that they gain so much from the experience and the reality of dangers and how to be safe are brought to life through interactive and informative sessions.

In Wrexham we believe that the interactive and experiential learning that the Centre provides its visitors with is a key part of its success. It is vital we educate children and young people about the internet, roads, water, and the home to ensure they understand how to keep themselves safe.

A school visit to the Centre adds value to the work that is delivered in school through the PSE curriculum and other subjects. A DangerPoint experience can also help schools working towards the Healthy Schools Scheme accreditation.

Jonathan Miller: Health and Well-being Manager, Wrexham

Scottish Power Conference Day at Dangerpoint

2011-08-12T22:29:00.000+01:00

During June, DangerPoint welcomed Scottish Power to the Centre to hold their annual Health and Safety conference.

Scottish Power has been a stakeholder of DangerPoint since opening and has been extremely supportive across the years.

During this event, employees from across different fields within Scottish Power had the opportunity to tour the Centre to experience firsthand what is delivered by our team of Rangers.

They were also able to witness the partnership working between DangerPoint, North Wales Fire & Rescue service, North Wales Police and Welsh Ambulance Services Trust during a road safety demonstration. The simulated collision highlighted the dangers of careless driving and the importance of concentrating at all times when behind the wheel.

Feedback from the employees was very positive with many commenting on the day’s events. “In my opinion it was the best Conference we have had, maybe it was down to the venue, but I also believe it was down to the content of the day. Speaking to all of the SPEN safety reps who attended, they were of the same opinion, in that it was an excellent conference especially the Emergency Services presentation, I never went over 40 miles per hour on the way home.”

DangerPoint would like to express its gratitude to Scottish Power, for the kind donation of £500 to the Centre.

For further details about the road safety presentation, or about donations to the Centre, please contact Victoria Burrows: Funding & Development Officer.

Dangerpoint Ladies

2011-08-12T22:19:00.002+01:00

DangerPoint welcomed friends old and new to join us at our first Ladies Lunch fundraiser event on 15th July 2011. The event took place at St David’s Park Hotel, Ewloe and was a great success, raising in excess of £2500 for the charity.

During the event, 120 Ladies were greeted upon arrival with a drinks reception and had the opportunity to browse a number of stalls including Jamie at Home, Virgin Vie, Phoenix Cards, Miche Bags and Really Nice Chocolates.

Ladies had the opportunity to hear the ‘Calendar Girls’ story first-hand from Tricia Stewart, Miss October from the original Calendar Girls Story.A raffle was also drawn during the event with some fantastic prizes including a photography sitting donated by Sheri Bankes photography, an experience with North Wales Fire & Rescue Service, North Wales Police, case of champagne and many more.

DangerPoint would like to express our gratitude too all who contributed towards the event and to all Ladies who attended on the day to make it such a great success.

We were thrilled with the responses we received, everybody thoroughly enjoyed themselves and many have already enquired about booking for next year!

Partnership working in the new climate

2011-05-24T12:07:00.000+01:00

Gloucestershire Life Skills Centre, launching in 2012, is an interactive safety centre designed to educate the community about safety.

Dave Norman, the gregarious Project Manager for Gloucestershire Life Skills Centre is the perfect advertisement for partnership working and how best to work together to promote community safety and prevent child accidents.

Working for Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service, Dave has worked with the Safety Centre Alliance and the local PCT alongside many other supportive partners in developing the brand new centre.

Dave’s job is to steer and deliver the new safety centre in Gloucester and Making the Link spoke to him to ask him how the project came together and how the centre aims to build on the success of Gloucester’s strong community safety ethos. Read the full article here.

Danger Detectives in North Wales

2011-05-20T14:35:00.003+01:00

Historically, visits to the the Dangerpoint Centre in North Wales have only been available for organised groups receiving guided tours. However, on a trial basis this summer, DangerPoint will be opening its doors to public visitors.

With the launch of this new initiative, members of the general public will now have the opportunity to come and visit DangerPoint and take a self guided tour with friends and family.

During a visit, they will become a Danger Detective, seeking out the dangers we could all encounter in everyday life as they actively search our realistic scenarios completing fun activities along the way using our new activity guide!

Whilst our core programme was previously aimed at school age children, there is now something of interest for all age groups at the Centre.

The Centre will be open for public visitors from 25th July from 11am. Further details about our opening hours and admission charges can be found on our website.

Verbal feedback in relation to our forthcoming public opening has so far been very positive and it is hoped that it will be well received by the community. If you would like any further information regarding the above, please do not hesitate to contact a member of the team. Remember to keep us in mind when planning your summer activities

All Terrain Safety at Flashpoint

2011-05-20T14:14:00.000+01:00

For some time, Flashpoint Lifeskills Centre in Bodmin has been trying to acquire an ATV (All Terrain Vehicle) to illustrate important farm safety messages regarding the dangers of these vehicles.

Thanks to Ted Simpson and Mike Clayton of the Fire Service, we now have a vehicle in situ on the farm set. We will be revising the script to incorporate the relevant messages.

We have been able to get new flags and boards relating to Cornwall for the beach set which enhances its look and we will have assistance from the Environment Agency to update the flood scenario. Training for volunteers will follow the changes.

All Terrain Vehicles at Flashpoint

2011-03-11T11:34:00.000Z

For some time Flashpoint Lifeskills Centre has been trying to acquire an ATV (All Terrain Vehicle) to illustrate important farm safety messages regarding the dangers of these vehicles. Thanks to Ted Simpson and Mike Clayton of the Fire Service, they now have a vehicle in situ on the farm set and will be revising the script to incorporate the relevant messages.

Centre Manager Ellen McConnel said: "We have been able to get new flags and boards relating to Cornwall for the beach set which enhances its look and we will have assistance from the Environment Agency to update the flood scenario. Training for volunteers will follow the changes."

Gloucestershire Lifeskills Fly-Through

2011-02-26T09:11:00.000Z

You can see a preview of the Gloucestershire Lifeskills Centre, scheduled for opening in 2012.

Gloucestershire Lifeskills Centre gets go-ahead

2011-02-25T15:49:00.000Z

The government reviewed all Private Finance Initiative (PFI) bids as part of its Spending Review in October and after Gloucestershire learned that its waste PFI bid had fallen through there were doubts over the certainty of the fire cash.

However, the government has now confirmed that it will provide £40m to support the funding of the project.

Fire stations will be built at three new locations; with stations at Cheltenham Road East, Churchdown and Shepherd Road, Tuffley replacing the current Gloucester fire station at Eastern Avenue.

In Cheltenham, a new station will be built at Uckington while the current station in Keynsham Road will be demolished and rebuilt at that location.

Building the new stations will help Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service respond quicker to incidents.

There are currently areas of Cheltenham and Gloucester where the fire service can't get to life-threatening incidents within eight minutes. Life-threatening incidents are more often road traffic collisions than fires.

A new Community Life Skills Centre will be based at Shepherd Road and will be used by schoolchildren, groups, communities and organisations from across Gloucestershire.

The Community Life Skills Centre will provide a wide range of practical risk scenarios including road, rail, fire, electrical and water safety as well as other dangers in the home, including slips, trips, accidental poisoning and internet safety. It will also focus on teaching young people about social responsibility and respect.

Contracts will be signed with the contractor, Blue 3 over the next couple of weeks. Cheltenham-based Kier Moss Construction is part of the Blue 3 group.

The construction programme will start next month with the Shepherd Road site being the first to get underway. Staff from the current Cheltenham Fire Station on Keynsham Road will move to a temporary site at Kingsditch Road from mid-March to allow for demolition.

Jon Hall, Chief Fire Officer, said: 'With confirmation of Government's support for Gloucestershire, we are delighted to now be able to start this project.

'The county will be well served by the four new stations which will mean that we can get to those that need our help faster and provide more effective safety education.'

Cllr Will Windsor-Clive, Cabinet Member for Community Safety, said: 'I appreciate that some people are questioning the investment into new fire stations during these difficult financial times, but the bottom line is that they will better help us serve and protect the people of Gloucestershire and that's our priority.

'I am glad the government has now confirmed the funding and I'm looking forward to seeing the new stations take shape.'

Just another week at Safeside

2011-02-17T11:37:00.000Z

It's another action packed week at Safeside, the interactive safety education centre next to Fire Service Headquarters in Nechells.

The Centre welcomed around 90 pupils from St Patricks Catholic School, Wood End Primary and East Park Primary to the Junior Citizen programme yesterday. This scheme is delivered by trained volunteers in a two hour and 15 minute session utilising a number of realistic scenarios including train, bus, house, shop and road crossing. Fire service related issues are a significant part of this, along with financial awareness, peer pressure, internet safety and safer travel.

'At Safeside we are able to offer experiential learning - with visitors learning about safety by experiencing risk - in a way that is not usually possible in school', said Education Officer Rob Hattersley. 'Our lively and interactive approach caters for all learning styles, but is especially effective with children who find more formal learning difficult.'

Today sees the second of February's Lifeskill programmes. Developed by a experienced health education advisor, Sharon Burton, this scheme is similar to Junior Citizen but targets Year 8 (12/13 year old) pupils and the different issues at this age group including drugs, alcohol and peer pressure. Sharon said: 'We are especially lucky on Lifeskills to have enlisted the support of a team of talented acting student from Birmingham City University. These students act out roles including potential muggers, anti-social bus passengers, teenagers partying a little too hard, and the prosecution and defence in a youth trial. Such realistic scenarios have proved extremely effective as a learning tool to increase visitor awareness of risk and risk reduction.'

120 Year 8 pupils from Hodge Hill Sports & Enterprise College are attending this programme today, with Safeside seeing a return to Junior Citizen on both Wednesday and Friday with around 120 Year 5 (10 year old) pupils visiting on each day.

Thursday will herald the third Safeside programme - SafeStart - when the centre welcomes around 40 parents and carers from Balsall Heath and Summerfield Children's Centres in the morning, with a further visit from Kingstanding Homestart in the afternoon. Safestart has been developed by early years specialist Lisa Mason and is delivered by trained Presenters paid on a sessional basis.

In conjunction with our very creative marketing team, Safeside has just completed a full set of information booklets about each of our schemes. These will shortly be uploaded to our intranet site and we encourage colleagues to spread the word to anyone they know who might be interested.

Although Safestart and Lifeskills have only been open to Birmingham Priority Neighbourhoods so far, from April they are available across the Fire Authority area. The cost for Safestart is £6 per visitor and £5 for Lifeskills.

You can follow daily updates from Safeside on Twitter (@safesidecentre) or Facebook (www.facebook.com/safeside.wmfs)

Flood awareness sessions at DangerPoint

2010-10-01T12:04:00.000+01:00

During September, DangerPoint launched a new exhibit at the Centre to educate visitors about the risks of flooding. Environment Agency Wales, Welsh Assembly Government and the North Wales Resilience Forum have worked with DangerPoint to develop this interactive exhibit for children to look at where flooding is likely to happen and what to do if it does.

The new exhibit shows what happens to a village when water levels rise. As the river overtops, the roads are deluged, houses flood and the electricity goes off.

DangerPoint Rangers will teach the children about the dangers of contamination, debris in the water, deep and fast flowing water and hazards such as manhole covers swept away.It is hoped the pupils will take what they have learnt home to their families.

Environment Minister, Jane Davidson said: “We know that flooding in Wales is on the increase. The Assembly Government is committed to ensuring that communities in Wales are aware of the increased risk and understand the steps they can take to manage this risk. The DangerPoint project is a great example of the Welsh Assembly Government working with its partners and communities throughout Wales to increase awareness of this problem. The interactive nature of the project is particularly helpful, it brings the risks and dangers of flooding to life and helps young people to think about the practical steps we can take to minimise this risk."

During the launch, DangerPoint welcomed a host of visitors to the Centre, to learn the background of the new exhibit and witness for themselves the children’s reactions as pupils from Ysgol y Llys attended the event.

Lifeskills @ Bristol

2010-07-14T05:53:00.001+01:00

At Bristol Lifeskills AGM on 24 June Tom Mullarchy, Chief Executive of RoSPA presented Steve Ware, Lifeskills Chairman with the LASER Re-Accreditation Certificate. Lifeskills was the first Centre in the Country to obtain this accreditation 3 years ago.

Photo: Steve Ware (Lifeskills Chairman), Mary Prior (Lifeskills Patron and Lord Lieutenant of Bristol) and Tom Mullarchy (Lifeskills Patron and Chief Executive of RoSPA)

Hazard Alley on tape

2010-07-05T08:26:00.000+01:00

Hazard Alley - the UK's first safety centre from Milton Keynes - have produced a short film explaining what the centre is about.

Lifeskills on trial @ Safeside

2010-06-23T10:42:00.000+01:00

The new Lifeskills scheme at Safeside has been praised by teachers after the very first trial session attended by 30 Year 8 (13 year old) pupils. It comprised of an interactive tour led by both Safeside Presenters and drama students from Birmingham City University. The drama students have written and devised their own scripts, based on criteria set down by Safeside, as part of their community drama studies. Lifeskills Development officer Sharon Burton said: "We are delighted with the quality of the work produced by the Birmingham City students. They have been enthusiastic and adaptable and we are very grateful to them."

The Year 8 pupils witnessed a mugging, decided how to respond to anti-social behaviour on the No. 26 Safeside bus, learnt about drugs around the house and the effects of alcohol. Fire Service educators led sessions in the house on fire safety and the road crossing and car on pedestrian and passenger safety. The Police ran an internet safety programme and Safeside Presenter Sue Saunders delivered the drugs scenario.

Teachers on the visit have provided extensive feedback to help with the continued development of the scheme. 'An excellent way of bringing safety information to pupils' said one. Another commented on our courtroom drama: 'being part of the jury meant that the pupils had to really think about and analyse the case'.

Pupils themselves completed both a quiz to test for factual knowledge, and an evaluation to assess how attitudes may have changed as a result. and to gather suggestions for amendments.

Further trial visits are planned over the next few weeks and the revised scheme will be running with up to 140 pupils attending one day a week from September. The Presenter role will be advertised shortly.