Press Releases > Crucial crew returns to Norwich

Crucial Crew, the interactive safety event for schoolchildren, returns to Norwich for a third time next week (Sept 18-22).

The week-long event, to be held at the Norfolk Showground, Costessey, helps youngsters learn through experience and is the twelfth Crucial Crew to be held in Norfolk.

School children from across the Norwich area will learn how to cope with a variety of potentially hazardous situations by experiencing them for themselves in a safe and controlled environment.

Crucial Crew is designed for 10/11 year olds (Year 6) and is all about learning through experience. It comprises theatre-style, interactive scenarios recreating hazardous situations to which children may be exposed in their everyday life.

Pupils are placed in situations which simulate potential danger, such as a bedroom fire. The experiences seek, within a controlled environment, to raise awareness and provide practical and memorable advice on what to do.

The agencies and scenarios for this Crucial Crew are as follows:-
 
British Transport Police - Railway Safety
EDF Energy - Electrical Safety
Norwich City College - Kitchen Safety/FoodHygiene
The Matthew Project - Alcohol/Drug Awareness
Youth Offending Team - Anti Bullying
Maritime and Coastguard Agency - Water/ Seaside Safety
Norfolk Constabulary - Personal Safety
National Grid - Gas Safety
Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service - Fire Safety

Doug Underwood, co-ordinator for Crucial Crew, said: "Crucial Crew is a unique experience for youngsters. In a safe environment they face potentially hazardous situations and learn how to deal with them. The interactive nature of the event means the lessons they take away with them are more likely to stay with them, which is exactly what we want. Our thanks once again must go to the rotary clubs from Norfolk who will again be providing volunteers to direct the children around the sets."

Wyndham Northam, Cabinet Member for Fire and Community Protection at Norfolk County Council, said: "The beauty of Crucial Crew is the fact that it is active. There is no sitting around being lectured to, instead there are different 'live' situations all with a different safety message to take away. I have nothing but the fullest praise for those who make these events such a success."

This Crucial Crew is being sponsored by Chapelfield, Norwich's new Shopping Centre. The sponsors have given £5,000 sponsorship to provide the safety books from the Children's Safety Education Foundation.
 
Sheridan Smith Chapelfield’s Marketing Manager said: "Chapelfield is very happy to sponsor the Crucial Crew event. We recognise the importance of promoting safety awareness to people of all ages. The innovative and exciting approach that Crucial Crew adopts to inform schoolchildren is very effective and we are pleased to be involved."

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