One of the Isle of Man’s largest and most successful community projects celebrates a significant milestone this year.
2017 marks the 25th anniversary of Crucial Crew, an event that teaches important life skills to Year 6 pupils who are preparing to make the transition from primary to secondary school.
Generations of children have attended the annual gathering, which highlights serious messages about safety in a fun and engaging way.
Interactive performances, presentations, workshops and demonstrations are delivered at University College Isle of Man by the Isle of Man Constabulary, Fire and Rescue Service, Coastguard, St John Ambulance, Manx Utilities, Manx Telecom, Bus Vannin, the Road Safety Team and the Department of Health and Social Care’s School Nursing Service. This year’s event takes place from 19 to 23 June.
The emphasis is on providing potentially life-saving information that will stand participants in good stead for the rest of their lives. Topics covered include road safety, online security, first aid, safety in the home and being a good citizen.
As part of the 25th anniversary celebrations, past participants and presenters are being encouraged to share their experiences of Crucial Crew.
In particular, the organisers are looking for stories of people who have put the safety messages into practice during real-life emergencies.
The organising committee said:
‘Each year about 900 primary school pupils learn a wide range of valuable life lessons. We take a fun approach to getting across some serious messages. Since Crucial Crew started at Summerland in 1992, more than 20,000 children have benefitted from the advice and guidance provided.
‘Some of our earlier participants and presenters will now have children of their own who have also taken part. There must be a wealth of stories about people putting the Crucial Crew messages to good use and we would love to hear them ahead of our 25th anniversary event.’
Graham Cregeen MHK, Minister for Education and Children, added:
‘We are grateful to all the organisations that come together for Crucial Crew and volunteer their time each year to pass on important life skills to our Year 6 pupils as they prepare for secondary school.’
Anyone wishing to share their Crucial Crew memories should email enquiries@manxutilities.im
