Safety Centre: the concept

the concept

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Click the links below to find advice and information on establishing a Safety Centre

Charity registration details

The concept of 'Hazard Alley'

General considerations for setting up a Safety Centre

Funding

Running costs

Staffing

Premises

Visitors

Obtaining further information

Charity registration details

The Safety Centre is a Registered Charity and a Limited Company.

The Safety Centre (Hazard Alley) Limited - Company Register number: 270981

Registered Charity number: 1019093

The concept of 'Hazard Alley'

The Milton Keynes Safety Centre, also known as 'Hazard Alley', was the first of the purpose-built interactive education centres for children.

The Centre is the result of collaboration between Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service and Thames Valley Police, and creates a partnership between statutory organisations, local government and health authorities, and the private sector. In this respect it meets the requirements of both the 'Health of the Nation' document and the Crime and Disorder Act.

Opened in 1994, the Centre has quickly established itself as a 'must do' for schools seeking innovative new ways to introduce children to elements of the National Curriculum such as peer pressure and bullying, vandalism and personal safety. We now have an average of 20,000 children, including special needs groups, visiting per year.

We receive many enquiries from people and organisations interested in setting up similar centres around the country and we are happy to provide any information that is required. The existing Safety Centres, along with the multitude of part-time schemes (Crucial Crew, Junior Citizen, etc) around the country, co-operate informally under the umbrella of the Safety Centres Alliance, which acts as a central information exchange and a focal point for networking. In addition, the RoSPA LASER (Learning About Safety by Experiencing Risk) Project has, since 1999, been working to establish good practice guidelines and develop a common evaluation tool for these schemes.

For more information on the LASER project, see www.rospa.org.uk or contact the LASER Project Officer, John Vallender, on 0121 248 2114; e-mail him on furtherinfo@lasersafety.org.uk or see the website www.lasersafety.org.uk

General considerations for setting up a Safety Centre

Sadly, there is no blueprint for setting up a safety centre, no 'safety centre in a box!'. Safety centres are an excellent example of a pro-active, multi-agency community safety initiative. They often develop out of existing temporary schemes like Crucial Crew or Junior Citizen, of which the LASER project has identified over 170 nationally. Such part-time schemes are usually tremendously popular with schools, and give the organisers a great sense of satisfaction, but there can be implications that are not entirely obvious:-

These schemes take a lot of organising and this sometimes falls to one person who does this work around their existing full-time job.
The commitment required can be a strain on those participating agencies that have restricted resources, particularly where the scheme is of 3 weeks duration.
The full cost of the scheme, or the cost to each participating agency, is not always obvious.
Subject to the British weather if wholly or partly outdoors.

Here are some of the factors to take into account if you are considering starting a safety centre in your area:-

Funding

Initial set up costs

Single Regeneration Budget / Health Action Zone / European - are any of these available in your area?
Lottery - now tends to match-fund, rather than give 100% of the cost.
Government funding - seems to be hit and miss - some schemes have had funding, while others haven't, despite repeated requests.
New projects seem to have a better chance than existing ones.
Difficult to relate to one particular Government department - could be Education, Health, or even Home Office.
Sponsorship - new projects like this can attract significant sponsorship (in goods or money) during the set-up phase. However, this support is never guaranteed and will fluctuate from year-to-year, making financial planning difficult.

Running costs

Entry fees will take some time to build up, and are unlikely to ever cover running costs, typically only providing 30 - 35% of annual costs. there is an argument that this 'learning for life' should be free, but this creates issues with it not being valued by customers.
Income generation - adult training courses, conference facilities, team building courses.
Redirect the resources currently being spent on Junior Citizen, Crucial Crew, etc.
Charitable trusts will normally want to support specific items, rather than just provide funding to cover running costs. Like sponsorship, this kind of income is subject to fluctuation and should never be relied on.
Bursary funds can provide funding for groups that can't afford to visit.

Staffing

Secondments - this can be very cost-effective. It adds professionalism and credibility, particularly if they are uniformed personnel - community fire safety officers, police school liaison officers. Perhaps all safety professionals should be based at safety centres in the future?

Volunteers - also cost effective (token attendance fee, or mileage allowance). They can bring a variety of backgrounds and experiences. It is very rewarding for them (instant feedback from children), but you can't push them too hard as they are volunteers and will go elsewhere.

Permanent / paid - tremendous cost implications, even with minimal staff.

Premises

Almost as many different types of premises in use nationally as there are safety centres!

Bristol - upper floor of dockside warehouse. Limited access for larger exhibits, but fairly low ceiling height very well disguised by clever lighting.

Sheffield - old steel works building. BIG!! Will need work to make usable, but has great potential.

Reading - old single storey stable block. Hopeful of new premises when the area is developed.

Milton Keynes and Bournemouth - warehouses of approximately 10,000 sq ft.

Are warehouses the ideal premises? - empty shells, are on ground floor level with excellent access to interior. Warehouses usually have office accommodation and good parking. Good access for large vehicles (coaches). Interior height usually great enough to have scenarios 2 storeys high, open enough to create a sense of community.

You may be tempted to accept the offer of a free or cheap building, but ask yourself is it really suitable and will it cause you problems in the future. It just might be better to get it right first time!

Visitors

Young people of school age are likely to be the target age group, so you could redirect those schools which already visit your local and regional Crucial Crew schemes. These will give you valuable income in the early stages.

It is also possible to accommodate visitors with special needs, and they do seem to get a lot out of it. They usually have a shorter tour and only visit those scenarios that are appropriate, given their level of independence.

The scenarios can also adapt for use by older people, to deliver messages such as door security, bogus callers etc.

Obtaining further information

All the existing Safety Centres will be happy to provide you with information, and share their experiences with you; however, most Centres are charities - and are not centrally funded - and hence, rely heavily on donations and financial assistance.

For more information on projects nationally, on the Safety Centres Alliance, or the Milton Keynes Safety Centre itself, please ring Jan Alder on 01908 263009, or e-mail info@safetycentre.co.uk