Young people from across the West Midlands are set to benefit from an innovative financial education link-up between West Midlands Fire Service and Nationwide Building Society. The new programme is being delivered at WMFS’s Safeside centre in Birmingham. Visitors are being taught to be more financially aware in a variety of scenarios and settings - including a full-size, virtual Nationwide branch, complete with cash machine. As well as getting tips on safe use of ATMs and security of financial information, visitors are taking part in activities designed to highlight the importance of budgeting, spending wisely and saving. The scheme is the latest element in an integrated programme of courses offered in Safeside’s interactive indoor street environment, complementing West Midlands Fire Service’s wider community safety agenda. Safeside’s young visitors enjoy practical safety sessions which, in turn, give them confidence and help to raise their personal safety awareness - all now complemented by the new financial input. Volunteers from local Nationwide offices are teaming up with Safeside presenters to deliver the two-hour tour session to groups of pupils predominantly from Years 9-11. Some 8,000 children and young people will visit the new Nationwide branch this year. Phil Loach, Chief Fire Officer for the West Midlands, said: "We’re very proud of the varied yet fully integrated programme of courses offered by Safeside. They contribute directly to the personal and community safety awareness of the thousands of young people who visit every year. “Fighting fires and attending traffic collisions are just a part of what we’re about. By working with young people to influence their behaviour, we’re helping them to stay safe and take responsibility in many different areas of their lives. Our partnership with Nationwide will boost Safeside’s already strong reputation among schools wanting to bring a practical element to safety and citizenship education.” Stephen Uden, Head of Citizenship at Nationwide, said: “Nationwide is proud to be part of this important work. Through our virtual branch and the efforts of our staff volunteers, we are confident we can make a real difference to the understanding of Safeside’s young visitors, equipping them to make safe, sensible and confident financial choices.”
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Dangerpoint värd framgångsrika alliansen träffas (DangerPoint hosts a successful alliance meeting)6/2/2014 Dangerpoint hosted a successful Alliance get together on Tuesday which included a visit from South Swedish Fire & rescue who are considering a safety centre in Malmo. The visitors had spent Monday at Safeside learning about various initiatives in accident and fire prevention. The meeting also heard exciting plans from Manchester Fire about a combined training and safety centre in the city. Visitors were delighted to meet Dangerpoint's new mascot, Chaos, who appears equally confident responding to visitors in Yorkshire, Swedish and Welsh! The Alliance plans a bigger than usual AGM at Hazard Alley Milton Keynes on September 11th to which staff teams from centres are invited. Ideas for workshops, presentations and speakers are welcome. A rather belated Happy New Year from Warning Zone, Leicester. Belated not least because things have been happening on the IT side of things here at WZ. Not only are we now on Cloud (lovely view from up here) but our new website is now up and running.
We still have the same web address so if you haven’t seen it yet check it out and find your way around. While you are there, have a look at the list of planned fundraising events for 2014. From our point of view we now have much more control over any changes we might wish to make to the web pages. It’s at this time of year that it becomes apparent how little available time remains in the school year. After Christmas we sent a reminder to schools who hadn’t yet booked which prompted a sudden rush of phone calls. With teachers focussed on Year 6 SATs in May, which rules out school trips, there is now a very finite number of spare sessions left with June being completely full. Our Volunteers’ Christmas social event was very successful with a range of traditional pub games on offer. I’m pleased to report that these were of the skittles, shove ha’penny type and none involved putting ferrets down people’s trousers. At busy periods we still sometimes struggle to cover all our guiding slots which are often filled at short notice by some of our volunteers. Six new volunteers have now started their training course and should be going solo in March which should ease things in the June and early July madness. Additionally, applications have been received from three more people who may also be fully trained by then. This will bring our volunteer team to 60 people. And finally… Scenario 6, the consequences of offending: Guide to group, “So if you have a criminal record you may not be able to get the job you would like. Boy, “Yeh, but you could always be a footballer.” Hello everyone. Well here we are in December already and Christmas staring us in the face. We’ve had Black Friday and Cyber Monday… I’m still waiting for Ruby Tuesday and Pleasant Valley Sunday (if you don’t understand just ask someone old) but I don’t think they are anything to do with retail therapy. It’s been a very busy November and a very frustrating one with us not having our telephone lines for around 4 weeks; my arms were getting sore doing all that semaphore work from the roof and we were down to our last carrier pigeon.
Last month we were presented with a cheque for over £6000 from Leicester Charnwood, Rothley and Soar Valley and Thurnby Lions who, together, held a fundraising golf competition for WZ. We also benefitted from a collection at the annual Procon Awards held at Leicester Tigers which also raised over £6000. Already this month we have hosted a visit from Market Harborough Rotary Club who have pledged a donation and expressed interest in giving further support. We are extremely grateful to these and other organisations that have chosen to support WZ; raising £250K each year is not easy and it is great to have the support of individuals, fundraising organisations and businesses to help us continue our work for our future citizens. Next month I will be giving some details about The L Factor, a major fundraiser taking place on 27th March next year. The second Great Warning Zone Pub Quiz takes place this month with nearly 100 people taking part and then it’s into the festive celebrations with our Volunteers’ Christmas Social. In the past two weeks we have celebrated the achievements of no less than three of our volunteers who have now joined the 100 Club (100 WZ sessions completed). Well done and thanks to them for their continued support. And finally… Guide in Alcohol scenario, “Have you seen anyone drunk, what do they do?” Child, “Well when my mum gets drunk she asks for chips.” We don’t always set the best example do we? Have a safe and Merry (but not too “merry”) Christmas. The new academic year is now beginning to get really busy and not only with the usual Year 6 visits. In terms of school bookings, we have getting on for 5000 children booked in for this year already and more local agencies and organisations are now beginning to use the facilities here at Warning Zone.
This month we are hosting Leicestershire Police’s Tasking Group Meeting, an Anti-Bullying Conference for local Special Schools, and in half term we have New Direction staff running an alcohol misuse session on behalf of Leicester City Youth Services followed by Leicestershire Youth Offending Service with one of their regular early intervention programmes. Additionally at the end of the month Sure Start from Netherhall in the city are bringing 22 adults to gain knowledge of child safety. This visit is a result of children coming to Warning Zone, going home and talking about issues their parents were unsure of. Also this month we are holding a special evening screening of the new briefing film for the cast and those who provided locations such as David Wilson Homes, Plumbing Trade Supplies and the Great Central Railway. The film itself is proving to be really useful in setting the scene for our Year 6 groups while being sufficiently hard edged to be used by the Youth Offending Service for their group work. Finally, volunteer news. Last month volunteer Ken Jones clocked up his 200th session at WZ and this month sees Hilary Parratt do likewise. Both have been volunteering with us since our first year at Syston in 2006 so I think they’ve decided they like it here. At the other end of the process we are just starting a training course for three new volunteers; good luck to them and I hope they enjoy their time at Warning Zone. It’s always a pleasure to catch up with people who remember coming to Hazard Alley when they were at school. Andrew Britton first visited us as part of a group from Holtsmere End School, Hemel Hempstead, in the 1990s – and he’s just been back to upgrade our Puffin crossing! Andrew, pictured, is now Urban Traffic Engineer South with Peek Traffic. He said: “I’d just like to say it was a pleasure to be part of the work you are doing. It is vital what you do, as I have learnt from it, 18 or so years on!” Flashpoint Lifeskills Centre in Bodmin, the exciting interactive learning centre which simulates potentially dangerous and hazardous situations to deliver safety messages, has been awarded re-accreditation by the LASER Alliance. Flashpoint Manager Elllen McConnell accepted the certificate at the centre in Bodmin on Monday 09 September on behalf of Flashpoint from Cassius Francis, LASER Alliance Co-ordinator and Youth Liaison Worker for The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA),. Cassius Francis said: “What particularly impressed me on my first visit to Flashpoint Lifeskills Centre was that pupils had visited before to do training on first aid. That spoke volumes about the culture of embedding messages and supporting the continuing development of children’s risk competence. “Manager Ellen McConnell, her staff, colleagues and volunteers deserve great credit for the dedication shown to support pupils in reaching their full potential.” Flashpoint features a range of scenarios including kitchen, farm and beach safety; how to make a 999 emergency call; and how to be wary of contact through the internet when not everyone may be who they say they are. Run by Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service, Flashpoint offers hands on practical advice to children and to the learning disabled as staff and volunteers guide visitors through 12 scenarios giving practical advice on what to do if something goes wrong. The LASER Alliance, which is hosted by RoSPA and sponsored by the Gas Safety Trust, brings together a range of UK-based organisations and individuals that believe in children and young people “learning about safety by experiencing risk”, which is where the acronym LASER comes from. Accreditation is awarded to providers of practical safety education who demonstrate their commitment to educational excellence and quality. The recognition is a marker to schools and other organisations that they can be confident in using the provider for LASER activities. Flashpoint Lifeskills Centre first achieved LASER-accredited status under the stringent conditions in 2007 and again in 2011. It has again been tested under strict criteria to prove the quality of the experience provided for children and learning disabled visiting the centre. “Feedback from schools and community groups who have visited the centre has shown that the practical hands-on approach really helps reinforce safety messages,” said Ellen McConnell, Manager of Flashpoint Lifeskills Centre. Cornwall Council cabinet member for homes and communities Geoff Brown said: “We should all appreciate the value of the Flashpoint experience which contributes to helping us achieve safer communities. I want to pay tribute to the hard work of the staff and particularly the volunteers in achieving this award. It is always great to see visitors to Flashpoint so animated and interested in all the different scenarios. A facility like Flashpoint is hugely important and I would urge schools and any other community groups to contact them to arrange a visit – you’ll find it very worthwhile.” Ellen McConnell added: “I want to thank everyone who has helped with the accreditation process and in particular to the wonderful team of volunteers without whom the centre would not be able to carry out its valuable work.” Flashpoint Lifeskills Centre on Normandy Way in Bodmin is available to groups and to schools all over Cornwall. Latest posting from our colleagues at Warning Zone: It’s an incredible thought that we are now at the start of our third academic year here on the lovely Frog Island; the tempus really does fugit. It’s beautiful down here by the river as autumn takes hold; mists rise from the river at sunrise, dew hangs from the cobwebs in the hedgerows, the wooded banks take on golden hues and skeins of geese soar into the reddening western sky each afternoon. Well, the wet cobwebs bit is true anyway. From 1995 to 2005, this time of year always meant Safety Squad, the 2 week temporary outdoor safety event organised by Crimebeat and Leicestershire Police with City and County Education Departments. Two weeks of hoping the weather was going to hold, dewy grass-wet feet, children working in large groups and still only the capacity for 900 or so of them each year. In many parts of the country these temporary events still continue and their organisers would give anything to have facilities like Warning Zone on their doorstep. Here we are 8 years on and over 31,000 local Year 6 pupils have now learned so much from their experience at Warning Zone. The schools are back now with over 3000 children booked in to date and the phone ringing off the wall every day with new bookings. The Volunteers’ Summer Day Out at Bosworth Field was enjoyed by all and a great way to say “thank you” to our guiding team. This was quickly followed up by a couple of refresher training sessions for the guides. These included a useful look at online safety courtesy of James Diamond, a trainer and consultant in e-safety and safeguarding who has volunteered his services to help us develop our knowledge in this area. The sessions also gave our volunteers their first look at the new briefing film we shot during the summer and to hear about the findings of the recent volunteer survey they took part in. Last week saw a fundraising golf day at Beedles Lake, East Goscote organised for Warning Zone by three local Lions clubs; Thurnby, Leicester Charnwood and Rothley & Soar Valley. We are very grateful to them for their continued support. We are also seeing a sudden take up on bookings for meeting rooms, more of which next month. Latest posting from our Leicester colleagues at Warning Zone: As reported last month, a major piece of work has been the shooting of a new briefing film to be shown to visiting groups on their arrival at WZ. The film sets the scene for everything that follows during their two hour visit and was made possible by funding from the Wooden Spoon charity. Filming started on Saturday 27th July and continued in the following week. Poor weather on the Wednesday forced an extra day filming on Thursday when finally, the director/cameraman was able to call, “That’s a wrap”. Thanks all round to Nutmeg 3D, the adult actors, the chaperones, those providing locations but not least to our six leading cast members, former Year 6 pupils from Wolsey House Primary School, Beaumont Leys Lane in Leicester: they were great. The film will be ready for use at the start of the new school year. Warning Zone is supporting National Citizens Service programme this summer. Six hundred 16/17 year olds from Leicester, Leicestershire & Rutland will be participating. As part of this programme the youngsters need to volunteer in their local community to make a difference. We offered a WZ fundraising project. We obviously struck a chord as we were the first project to be chosen. Eleven young people have started working at WZ this week and are planning their activities under the guidance of Ben, our De Montfort Uni student intern (well, he’s the closest we have to a young person on our staff). Next week they put their plans into action; look out Leicester! Our Wednesday Open Day Drop-in events continue with people from a wide range of organisations and businesses visiting us to find out more about the charity, the centre and what they can do to help. Already these have opened up some interesting possibilities for partnerships and funding. Finally, our utmost sympathy goes out to the family and friends of 14 year old Hannah Smith of Lutterworth who took her own life last week, apparently after being subjected to online bullying and abusive comments. Internet safety is about so much more than “grooming” and we are actively seeking funding to develop a complete “stand-alone” resource at WZ that we can offer to schools either prior to or following their usual Year 6 visit. Whatever the politicians do or don’t do about cyber bullying and trolls, we need to equip young people to feel safe, confident and secure when online. Warning Zone is located on Frog Island in Leicester. Here is the latest edition of 'Blog on the Frog'.
The current academic year draws to a close with our last school in at Warning Zone on the 18th. June and July are always full-on with bookings and the volunteers that are available work their socks off. Many people take the opportunity to go away before the daft school holiday prices kick-in and this means it is often down to the wire when covering school visits. Well done and thanks to our volunteers who have managed to cover them all. People are always asking, “What do you do in the holidays? It must be really quiet.” WHAT? This is Warning Zone; there’s always something going on. July sees the start of a run of business open days with 500 invitations having gone out. Last month two short promotional films were shot using children from Wolsey House Primary School and we are now well into the planning for the filming of a new 5 minute briefing film to be shot later this month. We are again using children who will have just left Wolsey House as well as adult actors. The filming will take us out to several locations for a total of four days and the planning and logistics required are considerable. On the fundraising side, this month also sees two evening Osprey Cruises on Rutland Water with wine, canapés and hopefully some ospreys and good weather. To be honest, the rain never gets in the way of a good evening and this year has seen a record number of chicks hatch at Rutland so there should be plenty of hunting for fish suppers going on. Those of you going to the Market Bosworth Show on Sunday 7th should keep an eye out for Zoe, Rachel and Carl who are on the Warning Zone stand raising awareness of our work. Say hello and have a go at the beer goggles game. Finally, you may have heard interviews with Richard and Vimme on BBC Radio Leicester following a reported incident of youths trespassing on the railway in Leicester. This is a reminder that the summer holidays in particular offer plenty of opportunity for youngsters to either hurt themselves or get into trouble. Well this July there are another 7000+ eleven year olds out there who should be better prepared to look after themselves – thanks to Warning Zone. |
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