Aston Park fire station had a special visitor recently when Pollyanna Pickering, acclaimed as one of Europe’s foremost wildlife artists paid a visit.

Pollyanna and her daughter Anna-Louise Pickering had bought a firefighter experience day at an Age UK auction held at Aston Hall Hotel last autumn. Pollyanna was at the auction as part of her role as a Patron of Rotherham’s Gallery Town Art Project.

The firefighters at South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue’s Aston Park fire station were delighted to welcome the well known artist to the station. The day included a tour of the station and a look at the fire engines and all the equipment on board, along with trying on the firefighters uniform and wearing the breathing apparatus.

Pollyanna is the most published artist in the UK, her work sells in over 80 countries worldwide and is patron of the Wildlife Art Society International.

Pollyanna Pickering said; “It was absolutely fascinating to see behind the scenes at a working fire station and I was so impressed by the skill, bravery and dedication of the whole team.”

Station Manager Paul Bragger said; “It was a pleasure to meet Pollyanna and Anna-Louise and show them around our station and give them an insight in to the day to day running of a fire station. Fire stations remain important parts of local communities so beyond our core emergency response and prevention work, it’s important to be able to give members of the public an insight into our work.”

A charity scheme is helping to improve the quality of private rented accommodation for residents in Barnsley.

Groundwork is a Barnsley charity which aims to improve accommodation in deprived communities and to improve the health and well being of residents.

The scheme was awarded £63,500 under the South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Authority’s funding scheme, Stronger Safer Communities Reserve.

The project will employ two full time staff who will visit residents in private rented accommodation offering advice and support on safety issues within their home. As well as offering improvements to the energy efficiency of the properties, Groundwork will also check smoke alarms and fire blankets in kitchens, where appropriate, to help minimise and maintain the safety in the home now and in the future.

Phil Hayes at Groundwork said; “The funding received from South Yorkshire Fire Authority makes this project, which is in partnership with the Safer Community Team at Barnsley Council, possible and will ensure that Barnsley residents are safer and more prepared for an emergency in their home”.

SYFR Head of Prevention & Protection Steve Helps said: “Engaging with residents in their own home is one of the best ways to offer home safety advice. Working together with charities and other public agencies on initiatives like this is one of the best ways we can reach those most at risk of fire and helps us deliver our safety messages to residents in private rented accommodation.”

The Stronger Safer Communities Reserve 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. Groups were able to bid for as little as £5,000 or as much as £150,000 to support projects which reduce injuries, save lives and make South Yorkshire safer.

South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue (SYFR) is searching for youngsters who are up for a challenge to be part of our successful Prince’s Trust Team Programme.

SYFR have teamed up with the Prince’s Trust to deliver The Team Programme, a 12 week personal development course for unemployed 16 – 25 year olds, offering work experience, qualifications, practical skills, community projects and a residential week.

Individuals will gain new skills and qualifications, mix with new people and make new friends, get help with job-hunting and CV writing and most importantly a big boost to their confidence and a real sense of achievement.

SYFR Team Programme Leader John Daley said; “Our first Team Programme was a great success with ten youngsters graduating and a number of individuals securing a job afterwards. We are now recruiting for our next course starting in May. The course will include team building exercises, work placements, CV writing and loads more, which will give the youngsters a real sense of purpose and achievement.”

Jack Darton, member of the first Team Programme said; “This course has enabled me to make loads of new friends and learn new skills which I will be able to use in my life and help me with getting a job. I owe a lot to the Team Programme and would like to thank South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue and the Prince’s Trust for giving me this opportunity.”

To be part of the next Team Programme or for further details contact John Daley on 07769 887249 or jdaley@syfire.gov.uk.

The mum of a teenager who drowned swimming in a quarry has delivered an emotional presentation to college students on the horror of losing her son.

Beckie Ramsay has visited Doncaster College to talk to youngsters aged 16 – 25 about her son Dylan who died in 2011 at a quarry in Whittle-le-Woods, in Chorley, Lancashire, aged just 13.

Dylan was swimming in a quarry and had been in the water about twenty minutes before getting into difficulties. He was pulled from the water and given CPR but was unable to be resuscitated.

Ever since, Beckie has worked tirelessly to promote water safety and has launched a campaign in his memory ‘Doing it for Dylan’.

Doing it for Dylan was set up to get water safety messages to children, students and adults to raise the awareness around the dangers of swimming in open water.

South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue (SYFR) is now planning to take water safety into schools this summer to teach youngsters about the unseen dangers in water.

Beckie said: “I want children to realise just because the sun is hot outside, the water isn’t. Open water is stronger, deeper, colder and more dangerous than you think. It’s not worth the risk to your life and putting your family through the pain that I have been through.”

SYFR Community Safety Officer Gary Willoughby said; “We regularly receive 999 calls in the summer about people getting into difficulty in water. It can be tempting to cool off in the summer months, but stick to a swimming pool. Hundreds of people drown each year in the UK and places like rivers, lakes or flooded quarries are completely unsuitable for swimming as they hide a number of hidden dangers. Remember NO lifeguard means NO swimming”.

You can download a Water Safety Booklet here

To find out more about Doing It For Dylan go to www.facebook.com/doingitfordylan, or follow @missmybabyboy on Twitter.

Ten youngsters have successfully graduated from the Prince’s Trust Team Programme having completed a challenging 12 week programme.

South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue (SYFR) teamed up with the Prince’s Trust and Barnsley College to deliver the Prince’s Trust Team Programme. Team is a 12 week personal development course for unemployed 16 – 25 year olds, offering work experience, qualifications, practical skills, community projects and a residential week.

The young people have all been thrown out of their comfort zone during the last few weeks, participating in a week-long residential in the Peak District, designing a sensory garden for Greenacre School, worked in the community with various groups as well as learning new skills in individual work placements.

The graduation which was held at Barnsley Town Hall was a great celebration of all their hard work and efforts. It was attended by their friends and family as well as local dignitaries.

SYFR Team Programme Leader John Daley said; “I am really proud of the whole group, throughout the Team Programme the young people have experienced a sense of achievement which has inspired them to move forward with new confidence and ambition. We wish them all the luck for their future.”

SYFR Area Manager Steve Helps, said: “The last 12 weeks have been about building the confidence of these young people and equipping them with the skills qualifications and experience to find employment and build better lives for themselves. From classes in CV building to laboratory visits and work placements we have been able to offer participants crucial skills and insights they otherwise may never have experienced. I am truly proud of the role the fire service has played in helping these young people aspire to a better future.”

Jack Darton, member of the Team Programme said; “This course has enabled me to make loads of new friends and learn new skills which I will be able to use in my life and help me with getting a job. I owe a lot to the Team Programme and would like to thank South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue and the Prince’s Trust for giving me this opportunity.”

Thousands of mums-to-be will be educated about home safety thanks to bespoke fire service funded room thermometers.

Following a recent successful trial of the thermometers in the Barnsley area, maternity units across South Yorkshire will now hand out the thermometers to expectant parents.

As well as telling parents when their baby’s room is at the correct temperature, the specially designed thermometers will also display important messages about topics including home fire safety and smoke free homes.

There will also be a focus on referring people to Stop Smoking Maternity service, whereby specialist midwives give practical advice and support to families who smoke. As well as greatly increasing the risk of house fires, smoking in pregnancy is known to increase the risk of miscarriage, still and premature birth and other complications.

The project has been awarded just over £23,500 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.

Groups were able to bid for as little as £5,000 or as much as £150,000 to support projects which reduce injuries, save lives and make South Yorkshire safer. Key objectives for the fund include prioritising the most vulnerable, collaboration and data sharing.

South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue high risk co-ordinator, Sarah Broadbent, said: “We already have a strong relationship with the midwives at Barnsley Hospital, including a successful referral scheme ensuring the most vulnerable families in the borough are referred for our home safety check service.

“This latest project will see important fire safety messages delivered to thousands of families in South Yorkshire, at a busy time in their lives when basic home safety issues could easily be forgotten.”

Joanne Poskitt, Specialist Midwife in Drug and Alcohol Use at Barnsley Hospital, said: “We work closely with the fire service already as it is well documented that there are links between a smoking home and sudden infant death or meningitis.

“The thermometers are a practical and simple tool which will help parents provide a safe sleeping environment for baby, information on creating a smoke free home and offer the opportunity for a free home safety check. We have already been handing out the thermometers in Barnsley and will now be extended to the whole of South Yorkshire.”