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Bees Get Busy In Strabane
Media Release
Bees Get Busy in Strabane
10th march 2008
Local primary schools are buzzing with an initiative designedto encourage children to adopt good safety habits.
A group of over 450 P7 pupils from 24 local primary schools enjoyed a unique, interactive learning experience last week, when they took part in the District’s first ever ‘Bee Safe’ event. Held at Melvin Sports Complex and organised by Strabane Community Safety Partnership, the young participants were instructed on how to stay safe using a combination of both role play and real-life scenarios.
The multi-agency event, involving Strabane Community Safety Partnership, Fire and Rescue Service, Northern Ireland Electricity, Women’s Aid ‘Helping Hands’ and Strabane District Council’s Home Safety Department educated the young participants on a wide range of safety issues, including stranger danger, fire safety in the home, electricity safety and healthy relationships. Each session was made of interactive workshops, helping children understand how to react to dangerous situations, contribute to crime prevention, avoid becoming a victim of crime, become more aware of personal and home safety and understand the role of emergency services. Each child also received an educational pack containing workbooks and leaflets so that the safety messages learnt could be further reinforced at home.
Chairman of Strabane Community Safety Partnership, Councilor Ivan Barr said "Children and young people need to know how to look after themselves and stay as safe as possible whether indoors or outside. Feeling confident to make the right decisions, know why it may be important to say 'no' in the right situation and how to get help if threatened are important skills that often needed to be reinforced'".
The initiative is one of a number of similar schemes taking place throughout Northern Ireland under the regional umbrella ‘Bee Safe NI.’ It is an initiative designed to equip children with the knowledge and skills to stay safe and to cope effectively should they find themselves in a potentially dangerous situation. The initiative complements accident prevention and community safety work within the school setting and prepares children for the transition to secondary education.
Notes to editors
- The Bee Safe events are usually held on an annual basis and provide an opportunity for pupils to participate in interactive learning scenarios such as road safety, personal safety, electricity safety, fire safety and home safety.
- Bee Safe is an educational initiative to promote safety and develop community awareness and to prepare pupils for the transition to secondary level education.
