Children attending this year’s Crucial Crew week will have a chance to win a poster competition. Crucial Crew is now in its 31st year and involves primary school pupils from across the Island attending Isle of Man College to learn life skills from a number of organisations including the police, fire brigade, coastguard and Manx Telecom. This year the pupils will be challenged to produce a poster illustrating the most important lessons that Crucial Crew teaches. Each member of the winning class will win a ?10 top up voucher from Manx Telecom, and see their design printed and used to promote next year’s Crucial Crew. Sergeant Wendy Barker, of Isle of Man Constabulary, said:
“As always there will be a fun approach to this year’s Crucial Crew, but there are serious messages which children remember and put to good use. The poster competition aims to get children thinking and discussing what they have learned when they go back to their school. The process of producing poster competition entries will build on the valuable lessons they will learn during Crucial Crew week.”
This year’s Crucial Crew event will be held at Isle of Man College on June 24, 25, 27 and 28. It will include contributions from the Isle of Man Constabulary focusing on ‘responsibility and consequences’. Pupils will learn about what the responsibilities of police officers are, and about what responsibilities children have as citizens. The presentation will involve games so that the children have fun while learning important lessons. Isle of Man Fire and Rescue Service will be organising a demonstration on safety in the home by creating a mock-up of a bedroom and asking children to spot safety hazards such as overloaded electrical sockets or flammable clothing left near an electric fire. As with last year’s Crucial Crew, one lucky pupil will win a competition during the fire service session and will get to spend a day at Douglas Fire Station. There will be other workshops and demonstrations by St John Ambulance, Isle of Man Coastguard, Manx Electricity Authority, Manx Gas, Department of Health, and the Department of Infrastructure’s Road Safety Unit. Manx Telecom has supported Crucial Crew for many years and this year staff will organise workshops advising children how they can stay safe whilst on-line, and encouraging them to use the internet and mobiles safely and responsibly. They will also learn how to be safe when using interactive games, or social networks, spot the warning signs that they should report to adults or teachers whilst online, and learn about the effects of cyber-bullying and what to do if they are a victim of it.. Children will also be given Manx Telecom branded goodie bags including a water bottle, mobile safety booklet, a ‘Fakebook’ leaflet, and a leaflet about fire safety. The Department of Community, Culture and Leisure will provide free bus transport for all the school pupils to and from the college.
Photo - Winners of a competition at last year’s Crucial Crew got to spend a morning at Douglas Fire Station. Pictured during the visit are winners Beth Colgan, front left, and Molly Pack, front right. In the middle is Molly’s brother Harry. Members of Green Watch at Douglas Fire Station are, left to right, Andrew Dugdale, Mark Walker, Mark Caley, Gary Corlett, Gary Hinds and Matt Tyrer.
