In July, DangerPoint welcomed colleagues from Safeside, the safety education centre based in Birmingham. The visit gave volunteers from the Centre the opportunity to tour DangerPoint with our team of Rangers, to gain a better understanding of how we operate. Following the tour, there was also an opportunity for volunteers from Safeside to ask any questions with staff from DangerPoint.

Feedback from the visit was very positive from the team at Safeside and Rob Hattersley, Education Co- ordinator said, “"Our volunteers really enjoyed visiting DangerPoint and seeing a different approach. Talking with DangerPoint Rangers helped them to understand a bit more about their own roles back at Safeside too. We would all like to thank Julie and the DangerPoint team for the warm welcome and the opportunity to see a different centre which was much appreciated!”

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.

Where might children practise crossing a real road, learn how to react to a house fire, catch a train, sit on a double decker bus, practise belting up safely in a car and go shopping in a real shop – in complete safety and without even getting wet if it rains?

The answer is at one of a growing number of interactive Safety Centres around the UK. Also referred to as ‘LifeSkills Centres’, these are exciting and realistic indoor townscapes. These indoor ‘villages’ enable the delivery of safety, citizenship and life skills education in a fun and experiential format.

The Safety Centre Alliance is a newly-formed group representing these centres at national level. Co-ordinator Rob Hattersley, a former primary school deputy head who is also Education Officer at West Midlands Fire Service run Safeside, said: “Of course, it’s great when teachers and other professionals can teach about safety and citizenship issues in schools or Children’s Centres. But we think nothing can beat children, or adults, actually experiencing risk in these realistic but safe scenarios and discussing the choices which have to be made. We learn more by experiencing things than being told about them.”

Birmingham’s Safeside is the latest centre to open and the main activity is Junior Citizen – a two hour programme in which Volunteer Visitor Guides escort small groups of Year 5 and 6 pupils around eleven safety scenarios.

Rob said: ‘With up to 130 children visiting each day, the scheme has already been delivered to over 10,000 pupils across the West Midlands. It includes life-like scenarios such as a street scene, road crossing, a railway, a house, shop and even an internet café. All of the children learn by doing and finding out for themselves – there’s no lecturing or clipboards at Safeside!’

The centre is currently piloting a programme called Safestart which will initially work with Children’s Centres to reach parents and prospective parents of 0 - 2 year old children in Birmingham's Priority Neighbourhoods. From March 2011 the scheme will be extended so that it is available across the West Midlands.

The programme will cover some of the key safety issues for two year olds including road safety and home safety. It will use the Safeside safety village to enable parents to learn about these issues in a non-threatening, fun, practical and relaxed format. Trial visits are scheduled for Summer 2010 with the scheme running fully from September 2010.

Rob concluded: ‘The Safety Centre Alliance believes the experiential style of the education offered by our centres really works in reducing unintentional injury, especially to children. These centres can not only save lives, but they can also help our country save money in the long term.”

Safe Start - A safety programme for early years/under fives, their parents and carers is being developed at Safeside.

Shortlisting for a part time early years specialist is taking place this week. The successful applicant will work with the Education Co-ordinator to consult with different agencies, develop programme content and train visitor guides in implementing Safe Start.

The programme will be developed in the early part of 2010 with trial visits during the middle of the year and a full programme from September. It will include the key safety messages for the age group and will be targetted equally at the adults and children.

Safe Start will be open to children's centres, nursery schools and local community run groups such as parent's and toddlers. It will be offered during the day and probably also in the 3.30 - 5.30pm period.

Seven young Safeside Visitor Guides were awarded for volunteering a total of fifty or more hours at the Vinjspired.com awards ceremony held at Birmingham Rep theatre recently.

Voluntary organisations from all over Birmingham gathered to celebrate the achievements of volunteers between the ages of 16-25 years of age. To celebrate their achievement the young volunteers were treated to a three course meal, tee-shirt, sweat-shirt, goodie bag and live entertainment from some of Birmingham’s Young Talent.

Safeside Volunteers Co-ordinator Janet Wilson said: “I was proud to attend with such committed young volunteers from Safeside. Their efforts and dedication are really making a difference to the lives of school children across the West Midlands.”

Safeside features in this video from the Birmingham Mail reporting on the National Fire Safety Day event at the centre.

Where might you practise crossing the road in complete safety, react to a fire in a house, learn about travel safety on a bus, visit a police station, practise putting on seat belts, react to someone drowning and learn about railway safety in a real train, all without stepping outside? The answer is one of the eight interactive safety centres across the UK which deliver experiential safety and citizenship education to thousands of children and adults every year.

Such centres take visitors on a tour of a realistic indoor village featuring shops, water areas, railways, buses, houses, road crossings, internet cafes and cinemas, delivering practical safety education in a real setting. Some centres are run by emergency services and some are run by charitable trusts or by coalitions of local organisations. Most centres currently focus on programmes for children in the final years at primary school. Tours are usually staffed by volunteer members of the local community.

Another ten centres are being planned across the UK at locations including Gloucester, Sutton in London, Leeds and Manchester. A national organisation – the Safety Centre Alliance – has been set up to facilitate support, networking and development between existing centres and to support those wishing to set up new ones. It also aims to promote and represent safety centres to relevant bodies and more widely to the media.

The Alliance is holding its first conference on 30th September at Safeside Birmingham, the newest of the centres, which is run by West Midlands Fire Service.

Acting Secretary Rob Hattersley, who is the Education Co‐ordinator at Safeside and a former deputy head teacher, said: “We know that our experiential approach to safety and citizenship education works. It is a cost‐effective use of public money which addresses many of the issues that concern families and local communities. This is not about scaring parents to keep their children inside, but empowering children in particular to feel confident and to stay safe whilst becoming more independent.”
 
NOTES TO EDITORS
The press are welcome to attend a photo shoot in the Safeside safety village on Wednesday 30th September, 2.30pm. There will also be an opportunity to tour the centre as well as speak to staff and volunteers from similar centres around the UK.

Please email info@safetycentrealliance.org.uk or phone Rob Hattersley on 0121 380 6429.

Midlands Co-op has created a replica of one of its convenience stores at Safeside, the interactive safety education village next to Fire Service Headquarters in Birmingham which was opened by the Duke of Kent in April.

Safeside is a full size indoor village with realistic scenarios including a real bus, train, canal, house, cinema, road-crossing, car and dark alleyway. During a two hour visit, primary school groups are taken round ten of these scenarios by trained visitor guides. Messages on fire, road, water, railway and domestic safety are delivered in a lively and interactive style. Issues such as citizenship, sustainability and life skills are also addressed.

Safeside Education Co-ordinator Rob Hattersley said: "We are delighted that Midlands Co-op has so generously kitted out our convenience store. This is now enabling us to deliver important messages on restricted goods such as tobacco and alcohol, along with financial awareness, crime, and environmental issues, through a range of interactive activities which engage the children in experiential learning. For example, children on our Junior Citizen programme have
to do some 'shopping' in the store for a neighbour. This is a good team activity, but on the shopping list is alcohol and tobacco. The children are refused sale at the till, and this stimulates a discussion on the reasons behind such restrictions."

Speaking on behalf of Midlands Co-op, Alison Cooper said: "The Co-operative has always led the way in demonstrating how retailers can play a proactive role in the community. We are very pleased to be able to support the delivery of such important messages on citizenship to children across the West Midlands."

Safeside relies on volunteer visitor guides. If you are interested in finding out more about this exciting opportunity, please visit www.safeside.org.uk or phone 0121 380 6429 and ask for Janet Wilson.