Little Hayes Nursery School welcomed a special visitor this month – Rob Burrows, a volunteer with SARA – to teach the children about water safety and learn about the important work rescue teams do.
SARA supports the police and emergency services across the Severn region with lifeboat, flood, land and rope rescue teams. Rob talked to the children about how to stay safe in and around water, including staying with an adult or group, only swimming where it is safe to do so, and what to do if you fall into water — floating on your back like a star. These practical safety messages are important learning for all young children.
Rob then showed the children lots of specialist rescue equipment and talked about what he has to do when SARA gets a call to respond to an emergency such as flooding, a person missing in the sea or a dog stuck on a sand bank. He got into his dry suit which protects him from cold water and helps him float, and showed the children his special buoyancy jacket. The highlight was when the children had a go at pumping up the rescue raft themselves — harder than it looked! Once the raft was inflated, the children took turns to sit on it in their groups, discovering how many could fit on in one go.
This visit supported the children’s learning about different occupations and people who help our communities, as well as helping them understand the important work that rescue teams do. The combination of practical water safety learning and hands-on experience with rescue equipment made it a truly memorable and valuable experience.