Last week was quite a week for seven young people from the Harrogate (Pupil Referral Unit) PRU who experienced the high-octane action at Harrogate Fire Station this week.
Six boys and one girl were encouraged to take up the challenge from Ian Hankin and Mick Dobson of the North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service. Their training began with a visit to issue their fetching kit and instruct them to report for duty 9:15AM sharp on Monday 28th November.
This is part of a scheme that has support from many agencies including the North Yorkshire Police and the Harrogate District Community Safety Partnership (Harrogate Borough Council).
The students from various schools in the area bonded over four hard days training into a formidable team. A crowd of proud parents, tutors and supporters gathered to be wowed by a professional demonstration of fire fighting skills and drills with the crowds not being left disappointed.
Such intensive team-based challenges of this sort proved a positive way to engage and focus students on highly valuable and transferable life skills. This will stand them in good stead for the world of further education and work at the end of this school year.
The Mayor of Harrogate, Les Ellington spoke to the young people and supporting parents:
I hope that they think back now and again to the week at Harrogate Fire station as you should be very proud – we are very proud of what you have achieved
You folk have really turned it in this week.
Spending quality time with real life heroes of the fire service has broadened horizons and given insight into vocations, which our students may never have considered before. Perhaps more importantly it has helped give them the confidence and self belief to think that such a career may be possible.
