RNC student, Elliot Fergus-Fuller, organised a highly successful and informative event in February as part of his Extended Project Qualification (EPQ). Elliot co-ordinated visits from both West Mercia Police and Longtown Mountain Rescue, bringing together expert guidance, practical demonstrations, and valuable safety resources for the College community.
Charlotte from the Police, delivered clear advice on personal safety, particularly when out in clubs and bars. Students were also able to raise several important issues, including the dangers and accessibility challenges caused by pavement parking and how to handle cold callers.
Charlotte demonstrated the Braille plaque found on official police warrant cards, for accessible identity verification. She also outlined the best ways to contact the Police in a range of emergency and non-emergency scenarios.
As part of the event, students were able to take away a range of practical safety items, including drink covers and bottle stoppers to help protect against drink spiking, along with lights for dog collars to support visibility and safety for guide dogs.
Ben, Philippa and Tom from Longtown Mountain Rescue provided a detailed look into their work. The organisation, founded 60 years ago at Longtown Outdoor Centre on the England–Wales border, is a 24/7 volunteer service responding to emergencies across Herefordshire and South Wales.
The team explained that they support a wide variety of incidents including extreme weather, mountain terrain rescues and water based emergencies. Depending on the situation, 13–20 volunteers, including medics, can be deployed.
Students also learned about specialist equipment such as the vacuum mattress, used to stabilise casualties during rescue operations. The team encouraged young people to follow “adventure smart” principles – checking the weather, sharing plans with others, and giving an expected return time.
As a charity with no government funding, they also highlighted their annual Big Black Mountain Challenge (a sponsored 20km, 31km, or 49km walk or run), which helps raise vital funds for their work.
The event concluded with a series of interactive demonstrations. Students had the opportunity to try handcuffs, handle a police baton, and take part in a touch tour of the emergency vehicles, with sirens and horns proving particularly popular.
Congratulations to Elliot who created an event that was both informative and highly engaging and thank you to our visitors from West Mercia Police and Longtown Mountain Rescue for sharing their time and expertise.
To view more photos from Elliot’s event, click here.