Beacon

Investing in our young people is vital if we are to prevent them from being affected by serious violence and we can do that by giving them safe, positive opportunities and the chance to try new experiences and gain new skills.

Beacon equips them with the right ideals, renewed confidence and aspirational levels that will put them on the right path to a brighter future.

By engaging with our young people, through safe and positive learning we can open up dialogue between blue light services and young people before they reach high school, to promote responsible behaviour and educate them on the dangers of common issues we see too often in our communities.

Delivered by Merseyside’s Fire and Rescue Service, Beacon works with children who are either struggling with their studies and need some additional support, or with their personal, social and educational development, using a trauma-informed approach to develop independence and leadership skills, encouraging better attendance and performance in class while reducing the number of those excluded from mainstream education.

From hose, apparatus and foam drills, to search and rescue in the dark ‘smoke house’, first aid training, to fire safety at home, over a six-week period (one day per week), pupils take part in a range of ‘child-friendly’ activities similar to those a fire officer may experience during training whilst also learning about road and water safety, exploitation and the difference between healthy and unhealthy relationships.