Thursday 28 June 2012
Nearly 650 local children have been learning about safety through taking part in activities organised by the Guernsey Child Accident Prevention Group.
The Safety Calling Challenge involves all the island's Year 6 children (aged 10 & 11) for 8 days during June and children attend for half a day at a time. Working in small groups they take part in eight different accident prevention scenarios with the aim that they learn about safety through practical and participatory activities. The scheme has been validated by RoSPA and achieved their accreditation status.
Members of the Child Accident Prevention Group staff the scenarios and the children have twelve minutes at each scene. These include water safety with the Royal Life Saving Society, cycle safety and road safety with the Guernsey Police, fire safety with the Guernsey Fire & Rescue Service, kitchen safety with the Health Visitors and Trading Standards Dept, CPR with the St John Training Service and Ambulance and Rescue Service and internet safety with Action for Children, and the Youth Service. During four of the scenarios, children are also given the opportunity to make real 999 calls to the operators at Sure (Cable and Wireless).
Chair of the Group and Health Promotion Manager, Yvonne Le Page said:
"Each year, hundreds of children end up at the Accident and Emergency department of the PEH as the result of an accident. The Safety Calling Challenge enables children to learn about keeping safe and to put their knowledge into practice. We are very grateful to all the agencies who give their time to ensure that the children have the opportunity to take part in so many different fun activities, which nevertheless help them learn vital messages about accident prevention. We would also like to thank our sponsors, the Ana Leaf Foundation, the Guernsey Scout Association (who let us have the Centre at a reduced rate) and Sure who lend us the telephones and text messaging service and whose wonderful operators answer four practice calls every 12 minutes!"
Hayley de Putron, Trustee of the Ana Leaf Foundation said:
"The Safety Calling Challenge is a hugely important initiative which we are very pleased to support. The cause makes absolutely crucial safety information relevant to those who perhaps need this education the most and it does so in a fun way."
-ENDS-
Contact Information
Yvonne Le Page, Health Promotion Manager
Tel: 01481 707 311
