DEVON and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service teamed up with West Devon Borough Council to hold a course designed to motivate young people and teach them important life skills.

The Phoenix Project is a week-long youth engagement scheme that aims to boost the confidence of teenagers who might have been excluded from school, or lacking certain abilities, by participating in fun and challenging exercises.

As part of the project, created by the Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service, youngsters are given an insight into various services to teach them important skills such as respect, team building, first aid and trust.

During the week, participants visited Plympton Fire Station where they learned how to use specialist breathing apparatus in the fire service training rooms. They also worked with the Red Cross, to gain First Aid certificates and police traffic officers to learn about issues, including speeding.

Students were offered mentoring from senior fire service officers in a bid to give them respect for uniformed officers and the responsibilities that they hold.

Officers worked with people aged between 12 and 15 years from schools around West Devon, including Tavistock and Okehampton Colleges.

The week culminated in a passing out parade at Tavistock Fire Station on March 20 where participants took part in marching drills and other activities to demonstrate what they had learned through the course.

The Mayor of West Devon, Cllr Christine Marsh, families of those involved and local police officers were all in attendance. 

The project is financed by the Community Safety Partnership, which works with agencies around the county to deliver initiatives to make the community a safer place. The Partnership operates across West Devon, the South Hams and Teignbridge.

Louisa Daley, community safety officer for West Devon Borough Council, said: 'The courses are an extremely successful way of highlighting the positives around team building and self-motivation and of increasing self-confidence for the young people.'

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