Students trying on the lifeboat clothing. (click image to enlarge)
Students studying Public Services at Cornwall College St Austell headed to the Lifeboat Station at Padstow recently for a guided tour of the facilities and a chance to meet the crew as part of their Citizenship and Leadership unit.
Upon arrival the students, who are studying Extended Diploma Public Services, were met by crew members of the £2.5 million Tamar Class Lifeboat ‘Spirit of Padstow’ who gave them an exclusive in-sight into the station.
Students were shown the equipment onboard the boat, what happens when an emergency call comes in – the processes and procedures and were even able to try on lifeboat clothing from now and yesteryear.
Darren Keal, Sports and Public Services Lecturer, explained: “The students really enjoyed talking to the crew and seeing the boat as it gave them a hands-on experience of a working lifeboat station, which can’t be taught in the classroom. They also learnt about the importance of teamwork and how average people volunteer to save the lives of people who are in need, whatever the weather.”
The morning of the visit the boat was launched to assist with taking an injured sailor from a tanker in the Irish channel.
Along the tour the students also discovered a bit of history about the first Padstow lifeboat and how it was built by the Padstow Harbour Association in 1827 and kept at Hawkers Cove. In 1856 the RNLI took over the station and its first motor lifeboat was commissioned in 1929.
Dave Linnell, Principal of Cornwall College, said: “At Cornwall College we have great links with employers and the local community, which enables our students to benefit from their time and expertise. I know the group found the visit to the Lifeboat Station very worthwhile, particularly as the RNLI is so important to our county.”
Cornwall College St Austell offers a range of Sports and Public Services courses. For further information about these courses, please call 0845 22 32 567.
