Swindon Young Carers Newsletter

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Aron Caldwell
5 years ago
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1 Swindon s Newsletter Salamander Special

This February half term, a group of 13 young carers, aged between 13-16 years old, and 3 members of the Swindon Carers Centre Young Carer Team, took part in the Salamander course run by the Dorset &

Everyone there was amazing; the instructors were great because they helped us to push ourselves to do things we wouldn't have done before and they were fun to be around.

thing, even if some of the instructors didn't!

2 This February half term, a group of 13 young carers, aged between years old, and 3 members of the Swindon Carers Centre Young Carer Team, took part in the Salamander course run by the Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service. Everyone there was amazing; the instructors were great because they helped us to push ourselves to do things we wouldn't have done before and they were fun to be around. You would think that swimming across Coate Water in the middle of February would be a terrible idea, but it was actually great fun; many of the others on the course told me they thought the same thing, even if some of the instructors didn't! The group had the opportunity to take part in unique experiences and showcase what they had learnt in a Pass Out Parade in front of their family and friends. We would like to share what the group got up too and all the exciting and challenging activities they undertook. I didn't think I would finish the week because it was really hard, but I did it and would love to go back next year and do it again and overcome more of my fears. I loved every minute of it and enjoyed learning and taking part. I wish I could do it all again! I d like to thank Swindon Carers Centre and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service for giving me the opportunity to learn something new and see what they do. Day One The week started very quietly with everyone arriving unsure of what to expect. To break the ice, the group started with some team building exercises; the funniest one involved a leader directing the group blindfolded with a whistle, very tricky! The group did not want to fail as a failure meant running a lap of the car park not fun for a Monday morning! Thankfully, everyone seemed very confident with these ice breaker games so not many laps had to be ran! Next, the group had to look the part; everyone was provided with the appropriate uniform for the week. Everyone had a full fire fighter uniform which they had to take care of all week; they had to take part in a daily parade in full kit where they needed to look their best! Following a good lunch, it was time for their first visit to the smoke house. This is the training house used to practice what to do when you enter a real house fire. They said it felt like a normal house but it was pitch black. The group split into small teams and had to guide each other around the house, navigating obstacles, climbing through narrow tunnels looking for any casualties in the house.with limited use of their sight. The groups worked as a team to put up a ladder at the side of a building and safely climb it. The ladders were much heavier than they were expecting, and it took 4 people to be able to achieve this. They also had their first opportunity of using the hydrants and the hoses on the fire engine. Again, all the equipment was much heavier than they thought, and rolling out the hose was a team effort.

Day Two Today was abseiling day; the fire fighters refer to this as NARC rope access. The group travelled to Westlea Fire Station in style in fire engines.

Whilst the group were over at Westlea, they took part in learning some vital basic first aid skills, which were practiced on each other and mannequins.

The afternoon was spent back practicing in the smoke house and getting used to using the hoses and the hydrants ready for the pass out parade on the final day.

Everyone gave it a great shot and supported each other with this. Day Three This was the day a lot of the group were nervous about...the swimming day!

The water was not very warm, but everyone had the courage to take part; with some even swimming 2 widths of Coate Water.this is much longer than it looks!

3 Day Two Today was abseiling day; the fire fighters refer to this as NARC rope access. The group travelled to Westlea Fire Station in style in fire engines. The group prepared themselves to abseil down a 4 storey tower building! There were lots of nervous faces; but everyone gave it their best shot and everyone did themselves proud. Whilst the group were over at Westlea, they took part in learning some vital basic first aid skills, which were practiced on each other and mannequins. They also snaked their way through some sewer pipes, which thankfully were for training purposes and weren t covered in sewage! The afternoon was spent back practicing in the smoke house and getting used to using the hoses and the hydrants ready for the pass out parade on the final day. Everyone was trying really hard to be perfect! The group needed to practice rolling out the hoses and gathering them up after use as there is a real technique to doing this. Everyone gave it a great shot and supported each other with this. Day Three This was the day a lot of the group were nervous about...the swimming day! The group were kitted out in dry suits (and some cosy onesies for afterwards!) and travelled to Coate Water ready to learn water rescue skills. The water was not very warm, but everyone had the courage to take part; with some even swimming 2 widths of Coate Water.this is much longer than it looks! Everyone did absolutely fantastic to brave the cold and undertake the water rescue skills. They were able to go on the aerial platform in the water; they weren t able to go as high as possible due to the weather, but were still at an impressive height to be able to see most of Swindon. In the afternoon, the group got to have a go on the iconic pole drop; this was a real challenge for some of the young carers who had a fear of heights, so this free falling was a real achievement! The smoke house today was even trickier to navigate through as the smoke was on and made everyone a little disorientated. However, there were some real superstars who helped guide their team through the house by just the sense of touch.

Day Four A new challenge was set today for our young carers. They were going to be working at a staged road traffic collision.

This relied on the group working together to quickly and safely dismantle the car. Day Five Today was the final day for our young carers and it was the day of the Pass Out Parade.

They spent the morning practicing all the skill drills to make it just perfect! Everyone got stuck in to clean the fire engines together and then prepared their kit and polished their boots.

The whole week of Salamander course, run by the Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service, was an incredible experience for everyone involved.

4 Day Four A new challenge was set today for our young carers. They were going to be working at a staged road traffic collision. They had to use some very heavy equipment to safely remove doors, roofs, seatbelts and windows on a car involved which had been involved in an accident. This relied on the group working together to quickly and safely dismantle the car. Day Five Today was the final day for our young carers and it was the day of the Pass Out Parade. This was a very exciting day for the group as they got to show their family and friends everything they have learnt during the week. They spent the morning practicing all the skill drills to make it just perfect! Everyone got stuck in to clean the fire engines together and then prepared their kit and polished their boots. Family and friends were treated to a fantastic Pass Out Parade. Everyone did amazing and it was clear to see that all the families and friends were so proud of what everyone had achieved. The whole week of Salamander course, run by the Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service, was an incredible experience for everyone involved. People faced their fears, challenged themselves and made some great new friends. Swindon Carers Centre would like to thank Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service, the local police and PCSOs for all their hard work and time they have given to give our young carers such a unique opportunity. Thank you also to Friends of s Swindon for making this event possible with your funding support. Swindon Carers Centre also wants to thank all the young carers that came for making the week so much fun, for taking part in all the challenges and for doing us proud. If you are a young carer over the age of 13 years old and are interested in taking part in a Salamander course, keep your eyes peeled for courses coming up later in the year! The first time I attended the Salamander Project, it was brilliant; being asked back the following year was the best thing I have ever done! It was a completely different experience to the year before. The best part about it for me was swimming across Coate Water and going into the smoke house. Over the week, everyone became more relaxed, even the ones who were nervous on Monday didn t want to leave by Friday. The Swindon Carers Centre staff were very supportive and friendly. Altogether, everyone there and the activities we did made the week an unbeatable experience for me. I was really anxious about attending the Salamander course, but the firemen were very supportive and helped me do things that I though I would never try. I don't like the dark or heights, but I did it and I really enjoyed the smokehouse, climbing up the ladders and abseiling down a building with support from the firemen.

5 Swindon Carers Centre Sanford House Sanford Street Swindon SN1 1HE Office opening hours: 9.30am pm Monday to Thursday and 9.30am - 4pm Friday Registered Charity No: Registered Company: Swindon Carers Centre 2017

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