WATERLOO ACTOR TEACHES BIRMINGHAM STUDENTS THE ART OF ACTING
11 April 2011
Liverpool actor Jack McMullen joined students at Cockshut Hill Technology College to lead a masterclass in acting. 11 students from a Year 10 drama class are currently making a short film drama for the British Safety Council and Jack gave them expert advice and tips.
The drama is being developed by the students from script, through to filming, acting and finally to screen. It on focuses on the very different experiences of two characters on work experience. Produced by the Clapperboard Youth Project and sponsored by the British Safety Council as part of their Speak Up, Stay Safe campaign, the script explores the dilemmas many young people face when they start working in an unfamiliar environment.
Filming is due to take place in the Easter holidays and with specialist direction and guidance from Jack at this session, the students will be in ‘safe hands’ when they come to act in their own film.
Best known for his roles in Grange Hill, Brookside, The Street and current TV favourite, Waterloo Road, Jack is well placed to offer this group of students his inside knowledge.
The final film will be entered into the Clapperboard Film Awards and students from the college will attend the prestigious awards ceremony at The Lowry, Manchester in May. The film will also get a very own very special premiere in its home city, Birmingham.
Julie Nerney, British Safety Council chief executive says: “Every 40 minutes in the UK a young person is seriously injured in the workplace. This film is being developed by young people and gives a voice to students across the world who also might experience a dangerous situation at work. Thank you to Jack McMullen for supporting the students at Cockshut Hill Technology College to produce this very important film.”
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LEADING YOUTH CHARITIES JOIN NEW CAMPAIGN TO REDUCE YOUNG WORKER INJURIES AND DEATHS
10 June 2010
Leading charities, The Children’s Society and YouthNet join the British Safety Council in promoting the Speak Up, Stay Safe campaign with the aim to reduce young worker injuries and death.
The Children’s Society, one of the UK’s leading children’s charities offers young people a free legal helpline to call and discuss current or previous health and safety concerns in the workplace. The Children’s Society Lawyers for Young People project gives free confidential legal information to young people and if necessary will refer the young person to a specialist law firm for detailed advice and/or representation.
Liz Fisher-Frank, Principal Solicitor, The Children’s Society’s Lawyers for Young People, commented: “The British Safety Council’s Speak Up, Stay Safe campaign is an important way of empowering young people to speak up if they are in a dangerous situation at work. If the situation becomes untenable, or if they have been injured at work, young people can call our free phone line where we can give them legal information and/or refer them to a specialist practitioner if appropriate. Speak up, Stay Safe and Lawyers for Young People are natural partners in helping to protect vulnerable young people, and as such we are proud to support this campaign.”
YouthNet’s Lifetracks.com website provides straight-forward information on work, study and training to 16 to 25 year-olds and will be promoting the campaign online. Chris Chapman, Multimedia Editor for YouthNet, says, “The animated films in this campaign are a really cool way to engage young people into thinking about their health and safety as they make their first steps into employment or training. Lifetracks.com is backing the Speak Up, Stay Safe campaign as it empowers young people to express their concerns about health and safety practices in the workplace.”
In 2009 3,200 young people between the ages of 16-19 were seriously injured while in work. In the past 10 years 66 young workers have been killed in the workplace.
The campaign supports young people to feel confident talking to their work supervisor, parent, teacher or friends if they feel that they are in an unsafe situation. No young person should feel pressurised to work in an environment where there is a risk of injury or death.
Julie Nerney, British Safety Council chief executive says: “Every 40 minutes in the UK a young person is seriously injured in the workplace. Working with leading charities like The Children’s Society and YouthNet helps to get the message out to many more young people that this statistic is unacceptable. Together we can raise awareness and help to reduce the number of serious injuries and deaths in the workplace.”
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Huddersfield New College and Emmerdale and Bad Girl’s actress Claire King back campaign to reduce young worker injuries and deaths
Huddersfield New College is proud to announce that 701 of their students have completed the British Safety Council’s entry level qualification in workplace hazard awareness. Emmerdale and Bad Girl’s actress Claire King will present the college with their certificates and plaque on Tuesday 25 May.
This free qualification is part of the British Safety Council’s commitment to keep young people in the workplace safe is being free to all young people aged 14-19 years old in full-time education in the UK.
Julie Nerney, British Safety Council chief executive says: “Every 40 minutes in the UK a young person is seriously injured in the workplace. We think this position is wholly unacceptable. By highlighting to young people that they need to be aware of their environment and speak up if they feel unsafe we hope to significantly reduce this number. Congratulations to Huddersfield New College for preparing so many young people for the workplace. Their commitment to young workers is fantastic. ”
For all press enquiries, please contact:
Philip Powell
Head of Communications
020 8600 5589
philip.powell@britsafe.org
Emma Wrafter
Senior Communications Manager
020 8600 1053
emma.wrafter@britsafe.org
