Free training available to family workers to save children’s lives on roads

Professionals working with families, community leaders, health professionals and educators are being urged to take advantage of a free half-day training course and save children’s lives on roads. Training is available across the UK and can be set up in-house.

A child is killed or hurt every 18 minutes on UK roads. Government statistics show that child road deaths increased by 20% from 2005 to 2006, from 141 to 169.

The ‘Stay Safe Family Promise’ road safety training is available through the FedEx & Brake Road Safety Academy, an educational programme co-ordinated by Brake and funded by express delivery company FedEx. The Academy targets most at-risk road users, including children, by training volunteers and professionals to deliver road safety presentations within their local community.

After the training all those who attend will be in a position to give life-saving presentations to parents with young children about the risks they face and offer practical advice on using roads safely.

The training, delivered by an experienced Brake trainer, covers topics including correctly restraining children in vehicles, safe driving and keeping children safe on foot and bike. Seven children are killed or seriously injured everyday while walking and cycling in the UK.

Everyone who attends the training course will receive free resources, including a colourful flip-chart, hand outs for parents and advice on how to give an effective presentation, as well as on-going telephone support from Brake.

So far, volunteers and professionals trained through the Academy have given nearly 800 highly-rated presentations in children’s centres and informal parenting groups, reaching over 8,000 parents.

CASE STUDIES

Paul Wright, a volunteer from the West Midlands, has given more than 20 presentations since he was trained in February 2006. Paul has arranged presentations with local parenting and childminding organisations and has reached more than 500 local parents.

Sue Barton, a family support worker at Sure Start Centre Bradford, was trained in 2005 and has given nine presentations reaching more than 100 parents. Sue delivers presentations in her mum and toddler groups and home safety courses. She’s also organised road safety games to get children involved too.

Sue says: “The training I received through the FedEx & Brake Road Safety Academy has been really useful and the resources, especially the flip chart, are fantastic. Brake has been very supportive since my training and I’d encourage others to get involved.”

Sarah Fatica, general manager at Brake says: “It is essential that we help parents understand the dangers facing their children on roads and how they can best protect them. The FedEx & Brake Road Safety Academy offers free training and resources to professionals and volunteers to help them deliver life-saving road safety messages to parents. We’re urging professionals who work with families to register a place on a course today and make our communities safer places.”

National Road Safety Week 2008 (10–16 November), co-ordinated by Brake, is this year focusing on the topic of family road safety. Sign up for a FedEx & Brake Road Safety Academy course today and start preparing your Road Safety Week presentation. To find out more about ways to get involved in Road Safety Week visit roadsafetyweek.org.

The FedEx & Brake Road Safety Academy also provides road safety training to:

Emergency service workers, youth workers and volunteers, on delivering presentations to young people on the risks they face on roads;

Company representatives, fleet managers and health and safety professionals; on delivering presentations to company drivers on safe driving for work.

Find out more about Academy courses in your area by visiting Brake’s website www.brake.org.uk and clicking on ‘FedEx & Brake Road Safety Academy’. To register on the course, or discuss setting up in-house training, contact Annabelle Rose at Brake on 01484 559939/559909 or email arose@brake.org.uk.