Kendal hosts successful Junior Citizens events
More than 500 pupils from Kendal and the surrounding areas have enjoyed informative and interactive safety sessions this week.
Year 6 pupils from 21 primary schools have taken part in the Junior Citizens programme, held at Kendal’s fire station and police station, with the teams delivering a range of important safety messages.
Topics covered included fire, water and road safety delivered by Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service; knife crime, cyber crime and stranger danger delivered by Cumbria Police; and a session on the dangers of cannabis use and vaping delivered by The Brathay Trust.
The pupils had the chance to use virtual reality headsets simulating a bedroom fire, to highlight the importance of smoke alarms and escape routes, and took on a throwbag challenge during the water safety session.
Andy Wills, Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service’s On-Call Support Manager, said: “We were pleased to host the Junior Citizens programme. It’s been a busy week, with just over 500 Year 6 pupils from 21 primary schools.
“It’s been the first Junior Citizens programme we’ve held since before Covid, and due to its success, it will now become an annual event.”
David Allen, Cumbria’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, said: “It’s so important that our young people understand how to keep themselves and others safe.
“I had the pleasure of joining a session and all of the instructors involved did a brilliant job at making the session interactive and fun for the children. It was really obvious that the pupils enjoyed the sessions but that they also took away the learning from them. Hopefully some valuable life lessons will have been learnt that will stick and which may, one day, help save someone’s life.
“These events were incredibly successful, and I’m pleased that the students had a fun time at Kendal Fire and Police Station whilst learning these necessary lessons.”
Schools taking part have been: Selside Primary, Dent Primary, Milnthorpe Primary, St Mary’s Primary, Sedbergh Primary, Crosscrake Primary, St Mark’s Primary, Stramongate Primary, St Oswald’s Primary, Storth Primary, Grayrigg, Castle Park, Levens, Ghyllside Primary, Arnside National Primary, Burton Morewood Primary Academy and Dean Gibson Primary.