Safe Highlanders and Islanders returns to Fort William for 2011
Almost 220 Primary 7 pupils from Lochaber schools will be immersed in the challenging issues of community safety and crime prevention when they attend the Safe Highlanders and Islanders event to be held in the Nevis Centre, Fort William on Wednesday 1st June. This satellite event follows the success of the Inverness event held earlier in May.
Safe Highlanders and Islanders is a nationally recognised partnership project which received the runner up award in the COSLA Partnership Working category at the inaugural Scottish Government Safer Community Awards 2010. Children following the event become more aware of personal safety, potentially avoid becoming victims of crime, understand how to react to emergency situations and learn more about becoming good citizens.
The scheme is based on the principle of “learning by doing” where youngsters will get their chance to experience a number of potentially hazardous situations and participate in a range of simulated practical exercises. Pupils will acquire life saving skills including first aid, fire and water safety, safety on roads and farms and for the first time this year also internet safety. Children shall also be presented with the dangers of electricity & building sites. At the newly devised internet safety set presented by The Highland Council’s Education, Culture and Sport Service / NHS Highland and Fujitsu, pupils will see through a high impact visual display just how much personal information can be given away online unknowingly. They will be provided with tips to keep safe and how to get further advice.
The agencies involved in this years Fort William Safe Highlanders and Islanders event are; The Highland Council, Northern Constabulary, Scottish Ambulance Service, Highland and Islands Fire and Rescue Service, Maritime and Coastguard Agency, Health and Safety Executive, Scottish and Southern Energy and Corrie Construction . The event is supported as well by number of volunteers who escort children from one set to another during the event.
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