Prevention Advocate Volunteers and Volunteer Fire Cadet Instructors attended Safeside this afternoon (5 June) for a celebratory afternoon tea to mark National Volunteer Week. Sandwiches, cakes and scones were in plentiful supply as certificates of service and thanks were given to recognise those who give up their time across the service to educate others. Prevention Advocate Volunteers are based at our purpose-built Safeside facility, next to our headquarters on Vauxhall Road in Birmingham. They help educate the community, primarily groups of school children, with tours of the centre. Through interactive activities and scenarios, the advocates provide key safety messages linked to fire, road, water, home, and personal safety. The fire cadets programme is a dedicated uniformed youth movement open to anyone aged between 11-16. Our volunteer instructors help lead the programme of activities, whilst acting as positive role models to the young people who attend.
Deputy Chief Fire Officer, Simon Barry, paid tribute to the work of the many volunteers at WMFS, who all contribute to making the West Midlands safer, stronger and healthier. “Our volunteers are a group of people that help us day-in, day-out through the work they do. There is a whole range of work they do that adds real value to us as a service. “We have key messages around prevention, protection and response, which are shared and amplified by everyone here today. I want to say a big ‘thank you’ to them all.” Find out about volunteering opportunities with us.