Safe Highlanders and Islanders 2012
Almost 2,500 Primary 7 pupils from Highland schools will be immersed in the challenging issues of community safety and crime prevention when they attend Safe Highlanders and Islanders events in Inverness and four satelite locations including Fort William, Portree, Lairg and Wick.
The Inverness event is running from today until 18 May at the Cameron Barracks. The Lochaber event is scheduled for 30 May 2012; Sutherland for 6 June 2012, Skye & Lochalsh for 20 June 2012 and the Caithness edition of Safe Highlanders will take place on 4 and 5 September 2012.
Safe Highlanders is a nationally recognised partnership project which received the runner up award in sponsored by COSLA Partnership Working category at the inaugural Scottish Government Safer Community Awards 2010. It is an educational activity based on a partnership approach, endeavoring to tackle challenging issues of community safety and crime prevention. Children following the event become more aware of personal safety, potentially avoid becoming victims of crime, understand how to react to emergency situations and their chances of becoming good citizens increases.
Safe Highlanders project is based on the principle of “learning by doing” where Primary 7 pupils 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 internet safety. Children will also be presented with the dangers of electricity, building sites and substance misuse.
Event’s objectives are:
The agencies involved in this year Inverness Safe Highlanders event are The Highland Council, Northern Constabulary, NHS Highland, Highlands and Islands Fire and Rescue Service, Maritime and Coastguard Agency, British Red Cross, the Youth Action Service, Institution of Safety and Health, Scottish and Southern Energy and Fujitsu.
The event is supported as well by number of volunteers who escort children from one set to another during this eight days event.
The Highland Council and all the involved agencies would like to thank all the volunteers for their support given to this year’s Safe Highlanders event.