Shropshire youngsters learn life skills with the Crucial Crew
This month saw over 1,400 local school children turn out for the 25th annual Shrewsbury and Oswestry Crucial Crew event.
Every June, Landmarc Support Services (Landmarc) and the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) host the fortnight-long event at the Nesscliff Army Training Camp, designed to provide Year 6 primary school pupils with the essential life skills that they may not get the chance to experience in day-to-day schooling.
With the aim of teaching good citizenship, danger avoidance and incident management, the Crucial Crew allows children to experience a range of scenarios intended to be both fun and informative.
This year’s event focused on a variety of subjects including the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse, internet safety and cyber bullying, first aid, and healthy eating, plus water, farm, electricity and railway safety.
Ran by representatives from the local police, education, health and military communities throughout Shrewsbury and Oswestry, the scenarios and exercises provided the children with life lessons, straight from the professionals. Over 100 volunteers turned out to chaperone, many of which attended their first Crucial Crew event as children themselves.
Alan Howls, Chairman of Shrewsbury & Oswestry Crucial Crew, commented: “We are very proud to have marked our 25th annual event at Nesscliff. Our charity provides impressionable and vulnerable children with the all-important life skills they need as they progress to secondary school and become junior citizens in their local communities.
“We are also proud to continue our association with Landmarc and the DIO, who have hosted the event at Nesscliff since its conception in 1994. All the Trustees of Crucial Crew are indebted to the support of all the Landmarc staff who are so accommodating.”
Tracey Prince, Landmarc Administrator at Nesscliff, commented: “It is great to have an involvement with the Crucial Crew, the invaluable skills that the children receive throughout the annual two-week event helps to inspire and guide our next generation. Landmarc has been supporting this event since 2003, when it began working with the DIO, and the event is now something we look forward to every year.”
