Moving the successful The U Sutton project across to Northumberland was always going to be a different kind of challenge: how easily could we adapt the model to work well in rural Northumberland, would people respond to it as well as they did in Sutton? A whirlwind of recruitment, incredible training weekend and first Northumberland Be A Lifesaver session all show that we needn’t have been apprehensive!
The U Northumberland held its first session on Thursday 22nd September at Briardale Community and Training Centre in Blyth. Newly trained U Host Aileen Barrass, a volunteer at the centre, wished to deliver the first Be A Lifesaver session to the youth groups who meet at the centre.
Aileen, assisted by U Northumberland manager Olav Veldhuizen, hosted an incredible session to a group of pre-teens aged 10 – 13. The energy of the session was high and the kids learnt several key First Aid skills. They particularly enjoyed discussing what it means to act in an emergency, with the key message being: doing something is better than doing nothing!.
The session was described as ‘really cool’ and ‘lots of fun’ especially when interacting and acting out situations. The young guests also found the session to be ‘educational’ and felt that they learnt a lot from the project.
The session showed that younger guests still have the needs and desire to learn basic First Aid. For young people who may be carers in some capacity in their daily lives, the Be A Lifesaver module provides some essential skills. We are hoping to host many more sessions to the under-18 age group across schools and sixth form colleges around the county.
The first U Northumberland session was a great success for all involved and we are looking forward to holding many more sessions! The U Northumberland thanks the many organisations for helping with recruiting and raising awareness of the projects, helping it get off to such a great start.
There will be many more Be A Lifesaver sessions organised throughout October and November. Our Hosts can also come to your community group or place of work and organise a session at a time and place convenient to you.
If you would like to attend a Be A Lifesaver – everyday First Aid session and potentially go on to host your own U sessions please check the website for upcoming dates around your area www.the-u.org.uk/Northumberland or email Northumberland@the-u.org.uk