30 years of lifesaving education by the Safety Centre

The charity specialises in interactive lifesaving learning, delivered at Hazard Alley and direct into school classrooms. Last year alone it educated more than 25,000 students about current and emerging safety trends including online safety, knife crime, drug and alcohol safety, home safety, fire safety, water safety and road safety.

The doors of Hazard Alley first opened in 1994 covering safety topics young people faced at the time through immersive scenarios which included rural safety with a farm and barking dog.

One of the popular features both back then, and today, is the phone box where students can make practice 999 calls to the emergency services. Today a mobile phone simulation has been added to create opportunities for more practice calls.

Maya Joseph-Hussain, CEO of the Safety Centre, said: “We’re proud to have delivered safety education to over 500,000 young people since we opened in 1994.

“We continue to provide essential lifesaving safety education and are consistently developing our education offering to empower and support young people with the safety challenges they face today and in the future.

“We want a society where people feel safe, communities flourish and people have the skills to make safe choices in difficult situations.”

Today at the attraction, scenarios cover current and emerging safety themes and these topics closely align with the PSHE curriculum, supporting learning back in the classroom and providing skills for many years to come.  

Memories of visits to Hazard Alley

One former student can still remember her visit as a youngster in the mid 90s and how it helped her in an emergency situation that she never could have dreamed would happen.

She said: “My first memory of Hazard Alley was a trip with the Castlethorpe & Hanslope Brownies. I remember the fire alarm going off and smoke filling the makeshift lounge and leaving the dog and grandad hanging out of the upstairs window.

“The replica railway tracks were also very familiar as we had a line in the village where I lived. I remember practising how to dial 999, and not long after my visit, I had to call it for real and I knew exactly what to say.

“A lady had been kicked in the head by a horse and she was unconscious; I had to talk to the desk until the ambulance arrived and I knew what to say and didn’t hesitate to call them straight away as I’d had the call at the centre. I re-visited the centre with Hanslope school and then took my son back when he was younger and lots had changed. I love how relatable it is walking around the houses and different areas that are familiar to where you live. I’m glad it’s still going strong today!”