Hundreds of children learn vital skills at Safety Zone events in Fenland

04/08/2025

More than 800 youngsters across Fenland have taken part in this year’s Safety Zone events – learning vital life skills as they prepare to move on from primary to secondary school.

Hosted by March, Whittlesey and Wisbech fire stations, the events transform each station into a hub of learning activity, with the Year Six students rotating through seven interactive workstations focusing on different aspects of everyday safety.

They learned everything from fire safety in the home, staying safe in and around water bodies, road safety and dog behaviour to online safety, basic first aid including CPR and age-related product safety.

The Safety Zone events were launched by the Fenland Community Safety Partnership over 15 years ago, with the aim of equipping youngsters with skills to keep themselves and others safe.

The latest events, jointly organised by Cambridgeshire Fire Service’s Community Fire Safety team and the Fenland Community Safety Partnership, saw a total of 21 schools across Fenland take part. They were supported by colleagues from Fenland District Council, Cambridgeshire County Council, Cambridgeshire Constabulary, Wood Green Animal Shelter, the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Healthy Schools Support Programme and the East Anglian Air Ambulance. 

Station Commander Paul Clarke, the Fire Service’s lead for Children and Young People said: “We’ve been delighted to host these Safety Zones at our fire stations across Fenland. These events provide a fantastic environment for young people moving from primary to secondary education to access important safety messaging. They’re able to learn in a friendly environment from a whole range of professional colleagues. All attendees take away a workbook, ensuring they are able to continue their learning after they leave us.”

Councillor Susan Wallwork, Fenland District Council’s Portfolio Holder responsible for community safety, said: “The Safety Zone events continue to be a huge success, with hundreds of pupils taking part in them every year.

“The sessions offer a fun and memorable way to learn critical safety information, helping pupils to make safer choices for themselves and others too.

“Sessions are free and would not happen without the support of all the agencies involved, and the feedback from schools is always really positive.”

Amanda Williams, a Year Six Teacher and Senior Leader at Elm Road Primary School in Wisbech, said: “It was an invaluable experience for the children. The activities were interactive and engaging and hopefully left a lasting impression on the children.”

Lawson, a Year Six pupil at Elm Road Primary, added: “I really enjoyed the house fire simulation. I think I would be more confident at dealing with a fire if it ever happened.” And fellow pupil Liva added: “I had never really thought about how many dangers there were at the beach.”