Today our Equipment Officer – Base and Catering Paul Copley and Training Officer Alistair Greenough, alongside Alistair’s daughter Hannah, visited The Bnos Yisroel Primary School (Orthodox Jewish Girls Independent School) in Salford.

We had been invited to the school by Year 4 Teacher Mrs Reich,  as Year 4 had been looking at the people involved and the impact of the flood in Lower Broughton, Salford, on Boxing Day 2015.

Having already met other emergency 999 organisations involved in the flood response, Local Authority workers and The Environment Agency, the young children were now keen to meet Bolton MRT, as we had also responded to these floods.

The Year 4 children had also been into the local school area to see the impact of the floods, with an interest in how the community was impacted by the flood.

On arrival, Paul, Alistair and Hannah were taken to School Hall to meet Mrs Reich and the Year 4 children, and were asked about the teams involvement in the floods, with some fantastic and thought provoking questions being directed at Paul and Alistair.

After the questions the children went outside to see the Team Land Rover Defender Mountain Rescue Ambulance vehicle, Alistair, Paul and Hannah had arrived in.

Alistair and Paul went on to show the children the comprehensive search and rescue equipment carried on the vehicle, and how to use the mountain rescue stretcher with Hannah being a ‘willing’ casualty.

All the children then took turns in sitting in the team vehicle and on saying our goodbyes we were very kindly presented with pictures of thanks and a box of chocolates by the children.

Paul, Alistair and Hannah, would like to thank Mrs Reich and the Year 4 children of Bnos Yisroel Primary School for their very warm welcome today and obvious interest in the work we did during the devastating floods of Boxing Day 2015 in the Lower Broughton area of Salford.