Junior Rangers’ first aid success
Junior Rangers’ first aid success
24 new first aiders!
A group of 24 Cairngorms National Park Junior Rangers have become accredited emergency outdoor first aiders thanks to grant funding from a local youth action group. They took part in the training at Glenlivet Estate Visitor Centre in Tomintoul in March, after the project was granted £1500 from the Cairngorms Youth Local Action Group (LAG) Fund.
Pete Short
From CPR to calling 999
The training, delivered by the First Aid Training Co-operative, covered a variety of first aid topics from incident management to cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), defibrillator use, calling emergency services and addressing minor injuries and burns. Each participating junior ranger is now a fully accredited emergency outdoor first aider.
Life skills and confidence
Phoebe Nicol, one of the Junior Rangers taking part, said: “The course taught me invaluable life skills. I never knew before how to approach an emergency situation in the best way but now I’m prepared and know what to do if I find myself in a situation where I have to give first aid. I found participating in the course a lot of fun too.”
Pete Short
Far reaching benefits
Pete Short, Countryside Ranger at the Cairngorms National Park Authority, said: “The fund enabled 24 junior rangers growing up in the Cairngorms National Park to feel more confident offering first aid to friends, family and members of the public. This helps towards their feeling of local community and citizenship – something we try to foster in the Junior Ranger Project. Many of the participants felt that taking part made them feel more comfortable being outdoors and knowing what to do and who to call in the case of an emergency. This is also a qualification that ultimately makes its bearer more employable – so should serve the junior rangers well when applying for jobs, courses, apprenticeships and other opportunities.”
Pete Short
The Cairngorms National Park Junior Ranger Project
The Cairngorms National Park Junior Ranger Project is an exciting, fun and adventurous outdoor learning programme for young people aged from 11–18 with sessions held in a variety of locations in the Cairngorms National Park. The sessions provide opportunities to develop skills and use them in real situations, participate in international and national camps and exchanges and achieve their Scottish Countryside Rangers Association Junior Ranger Award.
Pete Short