Buckie P7 on the alert as online dangers take centre stage at BCHS health and wellbeing day
Health, wellbeing and avoiding dangerous influences on the internet were all top of the list for P7 youngsters at a recent annual event.
Around 140 kids from local primary schools made their way to Buckie Community High School (BCHS) on Tuesday, June 10 to take part in the annual Community Alert Day (CAD).
The whole-day event forms a core part of the school’s transition programme between P7 and S1, with pupils placed in the House groups they will be part of when they start BCHS.
Over the course of the day, the kids are split into two groups, with one undertaking a series of workshops on health, wellbeing and safety themes. This sees a host of partner agencies, including the police, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and Buckie Harbourmaster Darren Bremner, among others, giving presentations.
The other group made their way to the playing fields for a series of sports tasters to showcase the various activities available at BCHS.
After lunch, the two groups swapped over.
This year’s CAD marked a debut for new event organisers Councillor Sonya Warren and Mel Smith, who have taken over the reins from now-retired BCHS depute rector Moira Taylor.
They both hailed the day as a success.
Councillor Warren said: “You could see all the kids really bought into it, they were really engaged.
“The workshops cover a wide range of topics.
“We do mental health, while Darren [Bremner] does water safety, which is really good as it covers what kids should do to keep themselves safe when they go dooking or if they’re out at the beach.
“The police did a lot on drugs and alcohol. It’s really quite concerning the level of drugs and alcohol which is available to young people, it’s quite prevalent. For example, we’ve got kids aged 11 putting drugs like ketamine into vapes.
“The fire service did things like fire safety and the impact of making hoax emergency calls.”
The Community Alert Day was the brainchild of the late David ‘Parro’ Findlay, a widely respected local football coach, with the first event being held back in 2011. It is believed to still be the only event of its kind in Moray and has taken place every year since apart from two Covid-enforced breaks in 2020 and 2021.
Ms Smith stressed that the driving force at the core of CAD - helping kids make the right life choices - was as relevant today - if not even more so - than it was in 2011.
She continued: “I think the Community Alert Day is more relevant than ever, to be honest.
“Society as a whole and online is changing and not for the better, unfortunately. This has had a negative impact on children, who are changing, too.
“It’s so prevalent that hopefully events like the Community Alert Day help and steer them in the right direction. ‘Parro’s’ theme was all about making the right choices, getting into sports or getting a hobby rather than drink or drugs, that was his core foundation.
“The Community Alert Day is still here and going stronger than ever, which is amazing. If ‘Parro’ could see what we’re doing here, he’d love it, he’d be chuffed.”
Councillor Warren and Ms Smith voiced their thanks to all those who has supported or sponsored the CAD in some way, including the Buckie Common Good Fund for their financial backing and Buckie Thistle for allowing the use of the function hall.
