Visitors Day at LifeLine 2017

For Year 6 pupils the summer holiday is over and their final year at primary school has begun.  Even for those moving between buildings on the same school site, secondary school can be a daunting step into an unfamiliar adult world.

In 1994, the popular Shrewsbury and Oswestry Crucial Crew event started at Nescliffe Camp to provide 10 and 11 year-olds with an opportunity to acquire essential life skills to help deal with situations that might occur.  Oswestry Rotarians were involved as helpers.  With a bequest from local author and naturalist Mary Hignett, Oswestry Rotary Club set up its own event in 2006 for local schools from both Oswestry and Wales.  LifeLine, as the event is known, is run at the Agricultural Showground Park Hall Oswestry with the whole Club involved in the planning and setting up.

Scenarios by the Fire and Police services, HM Coastguard, St John Ambulance, NFU and British Transport Police operate alongside Stranger Danger, Internet Safety, Bullying and Cycle and Road Safety scenarios devised and presented by Rotarians to provide the pupils with some awareness of the challenges they may face as they move on.  This is a real collaboration for the benefit of the 400-500 children from both sides of the border who attend this award-winning week-long event in September each year.

This year, the Club invited guests to visit the event and see the project in action.  Charles Lillis and Sue Thompson, the High Sheriffs of Shropshire and Powys, were there to see the pupils put through the scenarios. "What a great event this is.  I grew up on a farm where it was 'the survival of the fittest'.  The guidance given by the NFU is particularly valuable for those who have never had my experience." said Charles.

Also keeping her eyes on the Rotarians was Rotary District Governor Beryl Cotton who complimented the project. "How very impressed I was today attending Lifeline.  You are now in the 12th year of working with the schools and the local services to offer something that is so very important today. I was amazed at the questions the children were asking of each presenter and how eager they were to answer any questions that they were asked." Beryl said. 

Oswestry Town Mayor Councillor Vince Hunt and President of Oswestry Borderland Club also spent several hours viewing the project with all guests enjoying a sandwich lunch served by pupils from the Derwen College.

"We continue to see the value of this event by the response of the schools and the children attending" said Oswestry Rotary President David Davies.  "We must keep revising the scenarios to make sure that they are relevant.  I am delighted by the support that the services, our members, friends and family give to this event."

https://www.shropshirelive.com/2017/09/18/youngsters-learn-life-skills-thanks-to-oswestry-rotarians/