Every partner signed up to LSK is striving through its own educational and awareness programs to improve the lives of every member of the community. They each have targets for prevention, be it deaths, injuries, crimes, accidents, arson, anti-social behaviour, environmental damage, etc. Without LSK, each partner has to stretch its resources far and wide, often delivering an overlapping message to the same audience. It has become apparent that for each organisation that the logistical and manpower requirements of servicing several locations with consistent input and support is a nightmare to coordinate and is very inefficient and demoralising.
At LSK it will be a joined-up working approach from a central site. LSK is an effective and cost effective solution where the specialist’s input can be focused on delivering what they do best whilst large numbers of volunteers help to deliver the core objectives to significantly larger numbers of people from across the community.
LSK enables all partners to re-focus their resources where they are needed most – at the front line of their core activities.
Every partner signed up to LSK is striving through its own educational and awareness programs to improve the lives of every member of the community. They each have targets for prevention, be it deaths, injuries, crimes, accidents, arson, anti-social behaviour, environmental damage, etc. Without LSK, each partner has to stretch its resources far and wide, often delivering an overlapping message to the same audience. It has become apparent that for each organisation that the logistical and manpower requirements of servicing several locations with consistent input and support is a nightmare to coordinate and is very inefficient and demoralising.
At LSK it will be a joined-up working approach from a central site. LSK is an effective and cost effective solution where the specialist’s input can be focused on delivering what they do best whilst large numbers of volunteers help to deliver the core objectives to significantly larger numbers of people from across the community.
LSK enables all partners to re-focus their resources where they are needed most – at the front line of their core activities.
My role in the Kent Fire and Rescue Service is community-based. We have a programme of visiting junior schools to promote home fire safety, and senior schools to talk about arson. I also give talks and fire safety training to different youth and adult groups.
I am responsible for the Dover and Shepway District Council areas. I have been involved in Junior Citizen Schemes for many years helping at Thanet, Canterbury and Maidstone.
I see Lifeskills Kent replacing completed schemes in Kent and also improving the delivery of safety messages and citizenship issues. I have been involved in Lifeskills Kent since its outset and I am now a Trustee. I also chair the sub-group set up to decide what should go inside the centre.
RoSPA is actively involved in the promotion of safety in all areas of life - at work, in the home, and on the roads, in schools, at leisure and on (or near) water.
RoSPA aims to campaign for change, influence opinion, contribute to debate, educate and inform - for the good of all. RoSPA works towards its aims with central and local government, the caring services, the police and with public and private sector organisations large and small. Some of its work is funded by grant and sponsorship but most relies on the support of its growing membership.
Current relevant RoSPA projects are LASER (Learning About Safety through Experiencing Risk) and the development and future of interactive safety schemes. We are advisors to Lifeskills Kent.
‘EDF Energy Networks is part of one of the largest energy companies in the UK. We own and manage the electricity distribution networks covering London, the South East and the East of England. We have a dedicated team of education advisors working with over 100,000 primary and secondary school children every year to drive home hard-hitting messages about the potential dangers of playing with electricity. Our team of advisors helps to bring to life the National Curriculum section on electricity. There are three main ways we make contact with youngsters: by visiting schools; by supporting safety events like Junior Citizen and Crucial Crew and encouraging youngsters to visit our website (www.edfenergy.com/powerup);
Safety is of paramount importance in our Industry and that is why EDF Energy Networks is supporting a permanent safety site like LSK‘
Anne Elledge, Trust Manager of the Suzy Lampugh Trust writes. The Suzy Lamplugh Trust is the leading authority on personal safety. The Trust works to reduce violence and aggression in society and helps everyone - men, women and children - to gain the knowledge and confidence they need to live safer lives. Personal Safety is a life skill that can be learnt. The Suzy Lampugh Trust is delighted to work with Lifeskills Kent as the proposed centre offers one of the best possible mediums for raising awareness of a wide range of safety issues and a real opportunity to work towards developing safer communities.
Our support for the Lifeskills Kent Project comes from the very top of Kent Police. Chief Constable Michael Fuller is one of the patrons and Bryn Price, Partnership Development Coordinator and Chief Inspector Lee Russell of the Crime Reduction Department are the force's representatives on the steering group.
Kent Police have always and will continue to invest time and resources in making our county a safer place to live in and the LSK will play a major part in helping us get our message across. It will be an integral part of our Road Safety, Drug and Alcohol Misuses and Anti Bullying programmes.
By linking the activities in the centre to the messages that our Schools Safety Officers deliver to the young people in schools, we will improve the understanding of the issues involved and reinforce the messages that we are committed to making Kent a safer place for our young citizens
Pfizer Inc., founded in 1849, is dedicated to better health and greater access to healthcare for people and their valued animals. Every day colleagues in more than 150 countries work to discover, develop, manufacture and deliver quality, clinically effective prescription medicines to patients.
In the UK, Pfizer has its European Research & Development headquarters at Sandwich and its UK business headquarters in Surrey, and is the major supplier of medicines to the NHS.
Pfizer invested over £5.4 billion worldwide (£104 million per week) in research & development in 2008.
The RNLI has a Youth Education team including 10 Regional Education Officers based in the Regional Offices. RNLI Youth Education aims are to increase awareness of the work of the RNLI and to communicate water safety messages to people under 18.
The aim is to ensure the long-term future of the institution through encouraging new volunteer crew and fundraisers, whilst reducing the number of incidents on or near the water involving young people.
Our interest in the Lifeskills Kent project is as a medium to increase awareness levels, amongst large numbers of young people in South East Kent, of the RNLI as a charity saving lives at sea and to contribute ideas, expertise, experience and resources to the Water Safety education "environment" being prepared in partnership with HM Coastguard.
Recreational Strategy
On average, there are around 100 maritime related deaths and almost 4000 maritime related injuries each year, with the recreational sector consistently accounting for over 60% of those. We want to limit or reduce the rate of deaths, injuries and accidents in the Recreational Sector by 2020 when compared to 2010.
Our Approach
Supporting government initiatives to open up access to the UK coast and to reduce deaths from accidents and serious injury, the MCA will take every opportunity to encourage people to have fun and enjoy leisure activities at sea and at the coast, but also to plan ahead, make more informed choices and take personal responsibility for their safety.
Our analysis shows that in 2007, at least 245 people got into difficulty at the coast and at sea because they were not adequately experienced in their environment, 234 incidents were caused because people were unaware of weather conditions and 29 people died because they failed to wear a lifejacket.
Implementation
We will target our strategy at the general public and specific interest groups primarily through education and we believe that Lifeskills Kent will be an ideal medium for us to adopt a more proactive incident prevention role.
The Kent County Council Road Safety Team provide education, training and publicity for the people of Kent. We aim to influence the attitudes and behaviour of all road users, helping to make the school journey safer for those most vulnerable. Our purpose is to improve the quality of life by contributing to a reduction in road crash casualties. As one of the major partners in the Lifeskills Kent project, we see our involvement as a unique opportunity to promote our aims. Targeting children with our serious message, in a fun based and practical way, will help to develop crucial lifeskills in young people.
John Bateson, the Lifeskills treasurer writes. 'After university I spent 5 years in the brewing industry and 32 years at Pfizer, Sandwich, from where I retired in July 2002,having most recently been manager of the fermentation plant, producing antibiotics by the ton and overseeing the operation of the waste water treatment plant, discharging clean water from the Sandwich site into the river Stour. Lifeskills Kent now gives me the opportunity to be closely involved in a community project in a way which was difficult while working full time. For the last few years I have been Chairman of the Folkestone & Hythe Orchestral Society, of which I have been a member for over 30 years.
Doug Chenery writes .'I retired in October 2005 after 12 years as Health & Safety Manager at Kent County Council, Education & Libraries Directorate (the largest Local Education Authority in the UK), having been based at Sessions House, County Hall, Maidstone, Kent. Prior to that I spent 4 years at Bexley, London Borough as their Senior Health & Safety Advisor.'
Doug was a Corporate Fellow of the Institution of Occupational Health (FIOSH) and had been a member of IOSH since 1975, achieving a Distinguished Service Award in 1985. For 12 years he had also been associated with Safety in Action at Maidstone and was at one time Chairman.
He has had a wide career, starting off as Student Apprentice (Distribution) Engineer with the then London Electricity Board (now EDF) serving 19 years as Distribution Engineer, Energy Sales and Planning, Commercial Catering Engineer and from 1975 for 4 years as Assistant Safety Officer. He was then head-hunted and moved to the private sector for Blue Circle Cement heavy manufacturing industry as an Area Safety Advisor and for 4 years was Works Engineer and Subsequently Works Manager of a Lime and Flint Works at Cuxton, Kent.
A family man, he has been married for over 43 years with his wife, a Registered General Nurse, and they now have 5 grandchildren. His main hobby is genealogy. He is also a Church Warden at Holy Cross C of E Church, Bearsted, near Maidstone, Kent.
Peter Medhurst writes. 'I have recently retired from the Fire Service. Whilst serving I was involved in the Dover/Deal Junior Citizen Scheme, I was also a School Officer for 5 years. During this time I realised Kent needed a Safety Centre. Along with Nigel Bodell I am a founder member of Lifeskills Kent. During my involvement I have seen the idea grow and evolve into what is described on this website. I look forward to when it is fully operational and the young people of Kent are benefiting from its messages.'
