LifeLine Visitors Day 2018

A record 570 pupils and 62 members of staff from 27 schools from Oswestry and surrounding areas attended the Rotary Club of Oswestry's annual 5 day LifeLine event for Year 6 pupils in September this year.

Aiming to help the youngsters become more aware of the challenges and dangers around them as they move up to secondary school, each school group spends a half day at the Showground at Park Hall where, in smaller groups of 5 or 6, they are presented with ten scenarios relating to their health and safety to increase their awareness of everyday dangers and encourage appropriate responses if ever faced with them.

In this way the pupils are challenged by 5 scenarios presented by the relevant agencies (Police, Fire Service, Coastguard, St John Ambulance and the NFU) and 5 by Rotary volunteers (Bullying, Road Safety Demonstration, Cycling Safety, Railway Safety and Internet Danger).  At the end of their half day sessions, teams, who have been scored at each scenario for their participation, are awarded their winners medals and receive a workbook to continue to study the lessons offered back in the classroom.

Accompanying the Oswestry School Bellan House pupils, teacher Rachel Clayton-Wright said that as both a teacher and parent she recognised that these are valuable life lessons for the children to learn. "The pupils complete the tasks set in class beforehand and, with the help of the Workbook provided, continue discussing these important safety points in their PSHE lessons when they return to school."

The Visitors Session this year saw Oswestry Rotary President Ian Glenister tour the venue with Rotary District Governor Steve Martin, Oswestry Town Mayor Cllr Sandy Best together with the Community Ambassador for the Police and Crime Commissioner for West Mercia Graham Oliver who all came to view the LifeLine event for themselves.

Speaking after his first experience of LifeLine, WMPCC Ambassador Graham Oliver was full of admiration for the volunteer organisers who had given up their time to enable the event to be staged.  "Taking the children away from the classroom into the environment created at LifeLine will have a lasting and more profound effect on them." said Graham.

Rotary District Governor Steve Martin was also impressed by the event saying: "If only each Rotary area could replicate LifeLine that would be fantastic! Schools have a packed itinerary so in terms of its value the fact that schools come back year after year speaks volumes. It's a brilliant project and you should all be very proud of what you achieve."

Inspired by LifeLine, Oswestry's Town Mayor Cllr Sandy Best considered that "it is as relevant today as when you started all those years ago.  The children I saw were fully engaged and I can only imagine the amount of potential physical and mental hurt that has been avoided due to this event."

Summing up their experience for the visitors Graham said: "It's full marks from me for an excellent initiative.  Well done to all!"