Cornwall Fire & Rescue Service Newsdesk

at 30/09/2008 08:31

Firefighters from Cornwall County Fire Brigade have completed a successful 4 week skateboarding course for children who live at Treneere in Penzance, as part of their Supporting Community Values work.

Penzance Fire Station’s Green Watch ran a successful ‘Wheels of Fire Event’ at Treneere earlier in the year, which was the brainchild of Olly Clark, a keen skater and firefighter on the watch. The event was so successful that they decided to expand it to a course, spread over the Summer holidays, for two hours at a time.

Olly explains, “We’d seen the impact the ‘Wheels of Fire’ event had on focusing the kids and giving them something to be passionate about. The project isn’t just about teaching them to skate – it hones their communication and teamwork skills as well. It’s brilliant seeing kids come so far in a few short weeks, and we hope that they will keep up the skating as a way to channel their energy in a positive way.”

The course would not have got off the ground without funding from the Treneere Together Partnership, which provided 6 full sets of skating kit, including boards, safety gear and helmets. The Partnership is the Neighbourhood Management project for Treneere and works to deliver on resident priorities. The skating kit bought by the Treneere Together Partnership is now readily available for children on the estate to borrow and continue with their new found hobby.

Tim Cocks, from Cornwall County Fire Brigade’s Supporting Community Values Project adds, “In our involvement with young people, we try to convey the values that make the Fire Brigade such a respected service to the community. We do this by focusing on the need to be individually disciplined, to maintain a healthy lifestyle, to work together as a team and to communicate with each other and the public. Projects such as the skating initiative are so important in helping young people achieve and grow and we hope to carry out many more initiatives such as this one throughout Cornwall in the future.”

Supporting Community Values is funded by the Big Lottery Fund.

Picture shows FF Olly Clark with young skateboarders from Treneere. More photographs available.

Related item: http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=41317