Wentworth and Dearne MP John Healey met young people taking part in a major local youth development programme last week- the first scheme of its kind to be jointly run by the police and fire services anywhere in the UK.

The Prince’s Trust Team Programme is being delivered by South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue and South Yorkshire Police from Dearne fire station.

Team Programme is a 12 week personal course for unemployed 16 to 25 year olds, offering work experience, qualifications, practical training and a residential development week.

The programme also gets young people to nominate their own community project, with those on the current scheme choosing to transform the centre of Swinton- fixing benches, clearing graffiti, picking litter and planting trees and flowers.

John Healey MP said: “Young people are the future of this area and it is fantastic that both fire and police are working together to transform not only the lives of those on this programme, but also the places where they live.”

South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Team Leader John Daley said: “Team Programme is about more than simply boosting young people’s employment skills. It gives them hope, confidence and the opportunity to make a difference. The community project the young people are involved in this week is the perfect proof of that aspiration and we hope the sense of achievement it gives them will give them the self-belief which they can transfer to their future lives.”

A second Team Programme is also running currently from Barnsley fire station.

A fire service funded waste food project has won a national industry award for sustainability.

The Doncaster based Real Junk Food project campaigns to end food waste and runs a ‘pay as you feel’ cafe catering for people who use food banks and struggle with the cost of food.

The Real Junk Food Project is run entirely by volunteers and was voted as the community winner at the Footprint Awards ceremony held in London recently. The award recognises the catering and hospitality businesses that contribute to a reduction in the environmental impact of the industry and in turn making it a more sustainable in environmental, economic and social terms.

Fire safety officers hold regular drop in sessions at the Project, giving face-to-face safety and fire prevention advice to service users and their families.

The project was awarded just over £8,000 under South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Authority’s funding scheme, the Stronger Safer Communities Reserve.

The fund saw dozens of registered charities, community organisations and partner agencies come forward and apply for grants from the £2 million fund, which had been set aside from the Authority’s reserves.

Head of Prevention & Protection Steve Helps said, “House fires have reduced massively in the last decade, but sadly the people most likely to suffer a fire are also often the hardest to reach with fire safety information. That’s why it’s important that we work closely with partners, like The Real Junk Food Project, so that we can continue to reduce death and injuries in accidental house fires.”

Businesses across South Yorkshire are being reminded of their duties under fire safety laws, as part of a major national awareness campaign.

The South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue (SYFR) safety plea includes a call on businesses to make sure their fire risk assessments and staff training is up to date and that their alarm systems are working properly.

The warning comes during UK Business Safety Week (5 to 11 September). The awareness week, coordinated nationally by the Chief Fire Officer’s Association (CFOA), seeks to get businesses to engage with local fire services to help manage their fire risk, get advice on completing fire risk assessments and ensure business continuity.

SYFR Business fire safety manager Amy Jenkinson, said: “Our aim is always to engage with local businesses in a positive way and to work with them to make improvements before we have to resort to taking enforcement action, which may include closing part or all of a building, or resort to criminal prosecution.

“But the recent increase in the number of prohibition notices served is worrying and we’d urge business owners to take the time to learn about their responsibilities under fire safety legislation and complete a fire risk assessment to reduce the likelihood of suffering a serious incident which could put their business and their people in danger.”

South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue (SYFR) has tackled more than 500 fires in non-domestic properties in the last three years.

Top safety tips for businesses include:

Keep fire escapes clear– make sure extra stock is stored away from fire escapes, ensuring staff and customers can get out safely in the event of a fire
Check alarm systems– regular checks and maintenance help to eliminate automatic false alarms and ensure the alarm is working if required
Complete a fire risk assessment– not only will it help to reduce the risk of suffering a fire in the first place, it will help make sure you comply with fire safety laws
Sprinklers– consider installing sprinklers, but make sure you leave a good distance between your stock and sprinkler heads

For more fire safety advice for businesses, visit www.syfire.gov.uk/business-advice

The Illuminate campaign is now stepping up a gear in an attempt to reduce the number of fatalities on the roads of South Yorkshire.

The Safer Roads Partnership, South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner and South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service are aiming to warn people of the dangers of not belting up through two hard-hitting radio advertisements.

Danny doesn’t wear a seatbelt to visit his local shop around the corner. When he crashed, the consequence of this is that he chokes from punctured lungs as a result of his broken ribs. Jenny is on the school run, again with no seatbelt, when an incoming text distracts her and she hits a stationary vehicle and travels to school, through the windscreen, over her bonnet and on to the road.

Both radio advertisements were deemed so shocking that they had to be toned down for the school run and drive time audiences.

Dr Alan Billings, South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner said: “It is not our intention to frighten people, but there is a very serious message here about people in motorised vehicles belting up every time.

“These advertisements do make you think of the consequences of not wearing a seatbelt. Sadly for many reasons, people tend to think it will not happen to them. Without a seatbelt what happens to Danny and Jenny, could happen to anyone.”

The advertisements created by Hallam FM will be aired throughout September and October on Hallam FM, Dearne FM, Rother FM and Trax FM.

Chief Inspector Glen Suttenwood, Joint Specialist Operations (uniform) for South Yorkshire and Humberside said: “We are still seeing a high number of fatalities and casualties as a result of collisions on South Yorkshire roads.

“Last year there were 49 fatalities within South Yorkshire and the figures this year are still very worrying. We need to raise awareness to drivers and their passengers about how important it is to belt-up. In a crash you are twice as likely to die if you don’t wear a seatbelt. Drivers and passengers who fail to wear seatbelts in the front and back of vehicles are breaking the law.

“Most crashes are as a result of some form of human error. Drivers can protect themselves, their passengers and others by following a few simple steps; always wear your seatbelt, don’t use a mobile phone whilst driving, stay within the speed limit and drive to the road conditions and don’t drink and drive. I ask everyone to help in reducing the number of people injured on the roads in South Yorkshire and urge all drivers and riders to take extra care and respect the needs of other road users”.

South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Area Manager Steve Helps said: “Every death on our roads is a tragedy, but it is even more keenly felt when it is a young person who loses their life. Safe driving is mostly common sense. So we’re asking people to drive at the appropriate speed, leave a decent gap between you and the vehicle in front and never, ever drink and drive. Not just during the duration of this campaign, but every single day.”

The original advertisements that include breaking bones and chilling sound effects can be heard on the South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner’s website here.

The PCC is supporting the next phase of the road safety campaign Illuminate which will focus on young drivers.

The campaign launched in February this year was set up to reduce fatalities on the roads of South Yorkshire by the South Yorkshire Safer Roads Partnership. It will now be supported by both Dr Billings and South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue.

Statistics published last month by the South Yorkshire Safer Roads Partnership showed that there had been an 88.5% increase across South Yorkshire in fatal casualties in 2015. Initial findings show that the contributory factors to road traffic collisions are speed, driver behaviour, not driving to the road conditions and driving whilst being over the prescribed drink or drug limit.

The Illuminate campaign will target young drivers through the month of August through a number of platforms including Facebook, Twitter and music streaming websites. It will seek to re-educate young drivers and their passengers on the importance of keeping within speed limits, wearing seatbelts and not using electronic devices whilst in control of a motorised vehicle.

Dr Alan Billings, South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner said: “The Illuminate campaign is extremely important as it will repeatedly show young drivers how a split second decision could have devastating consequences.

“The campaign throughout August is directed at young drivers, but we must also reach out to other passengers in the vehicle. It is their own responsibility to ensure that they are wearing appropriate seatbelts, not traveling with a driver who has consumed alcohol or drugs and do not act as a distraction whilst travelling in the vehicle.

“I hope this campaign makes people stop and think about their actions. We understand that young drivers may be acting under peer pressure, but everyone in the vehicle has a responsibility to ensure that they all arrive at their destination safely.”

Illuminate will continue with further safety messages targeted at mobile phone usage and seatbelts over September and October. South Yorkshire residents will be able to hear radio advertisements running across Dearne FM, Rother FM, Trax FM and Hallam FM.

Social media users are encouraged to help spread these important messages by following #Illuminate.

Chief Inspector Glen Suttenwood, Head of Roads Policing for South Yorkshire and Humberside said: “Drivers within South Yorkshire can help us to work at reducing the numbers of fatalities on the roads within the county. The figures release last month show that 49 people have lost their lives in South Yorkshire as a result of a road traffic collision in the past year.

“We must all take responsibility for what happens in and around a vehicle that we are driving or travelling in. The campaign is also trying to reach out to family members of young drivers. We encourage them to speak to them and ensure they know the importance of speed limits, seatbelts, not taking any substances that could affect their ability to drive and challenging the use of electronic equipment, when in control of a motorised vehicle.”

Area Manager Steve Helps, said: “Every death on our roads is a tragedy, but it is even more keenly felt when it is a young person who loses their life. Safe driving is mostly common sense. So we’re asking people to drive at the appropriate speed, leave a decent gap between you and the vehicle in front and never, ever drink and drive. Not just during the duration of this campaign, but every single day.”

The social media campaign will begin during the first week of August.