July 17th, what a scorcher! Just the day for getting wet and cooling down with the Dales Young Rangers at Richmond Fire and Rescue Service!
It is so tempting to just jump into a river or reservoir on a boiling hot day, but the firefighters certainly opened my eyes to the dangers. One of the tasks we completed was learning what to do if someone is having trouble in a river. Some of the advice I already knew – such as not going in to try and save them – but I also learnt a few new things such as if you are holding onto someone in a river with a rope, and you find yourself in difficulty, let go of the rope, otherwise both of you will be swept down the river. It was all good advice and hopefully I will never have to use it, however it may save a life one day and the instructions given, will certainly make me more confident in a similar situation.
Another activity involved Sid and Robin (two of the firefighters) splitting us up into two groups to see who could make the best shelter against a storm – their weaknesses tested by spraying water from a fire engine’s hose. Sid’s team lost as the underneath of the shelter wasn’t protected enough (and the tarp had holes in it!). It was great fun and all the Young Rangers were soaked, which was very welcome on this sweltering day.
All in all, it was an action-packed day, where I met new people and we all had lots of fun! Many thanks to Richmond Fire Service for setting up the event, and also to Rachael (Young Rangers Officer) and to everyone else who works with the Yorkshire Dales National Park.
Want to find out more?
If you would like to come along to any of the Dales Young Rangers sessions, please get in touch via learning@yorkshiredales.org.uk or 07815 970346. You can also follow the Dales Young Rangers on Facebook
The North and West Young Rangers groups are funded by BIG Lottery Fund through the Green Futures partnership programme led by charity Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust. Green Futures aims to empower and support young people in the Yorkshire Dales and the surrounding area to become more involved, aware and connected to the fantastic natural environment that’s right on their doorstep.
Green Futures is part of Our Bright Future, a £33 million programme funded by the Big Lottery Fund and run by a consortium of eight organisations which is led by The Wildlife Trusts. Our Bright Future aims to tackle three big challenges facing society today – a lack of social cohesion, a lack of opportunities for young people and vulnerability to climate change.
The Young Rangers group based in the South of the National Park is being part-funded through Stories in Stone, an ambitious four-year programme of conservation and community projects concentrated on the Ingleborough area developed by the Ingleborough Dales Landscape Partnership. The scheme is led by Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust and supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund.