Saturday 19 December
12.00
hrs
Young people living in Lawrence Weston have a new place to
socialise thanks to the efforts of local firefighters.
Crews from Avonmouth Fire Station have put the finishing touches
to an outside decking and barbecue area they built during a series
of visits to the Juicy Blitz youth project.
The juice and smoothie bar at Ridingleaze provides a place for
people aged between 11 and 19 to meet, but lacked an outdoor space
to socialise in until Avon Fire & Rescue Service’s (AF&RS)
firefighters offered to help out.
Young people from the group cleared debris from the area before
laying a lawn and creating a herb garden and mosaic. White Watch
from the St Andrew’s Road station then stepped in to help complete
the project.
Using materials provided by B&Q at Cribbs Causeway and CWT
Landscape Supplies in Avonmouth, the firefighters constructed
decking, seats and a barbecue area the young people at Juicy Blitz
had long wanted.
Crew Manager Steve Hartshorne from White Watch said: “We had
great support from local businesses and everyone on the watch
pulled out the stops, working in their own time, to complete the
project.”
Avonmouth Station Manager Derrick Hone added: “I hope the young
people who use Juicy Blitz are happy with the results of what was a
really rewarding project for the firefighters who took part.
“Avon Fire & Rescue Service is involved in a number of
projects locally to engage with young people, now a key part of the
role we play to protect our community. Although many people might
still regard AF&RS as just a ‘response’ service, increasingly
we’re working to protect people by preventing fires from happening
in the first place.
“By forging strong links with Juicy Blitz we hope to provide
positive role models to young people, and hopefully divert them
from less constructive activities.”
During the Juicy Blitz project, firefighters also met shoppers
in the busy Ridingleaze area, arranging to visit the homes of more
than 100 people to discuss fire safety.
Ends