Date: 19th October, 2021
Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service has relaunched its personal development programme as SPECTRA, with the first course held at the end of last month.
Previously known as Salamander in the north of the Service area and SPARC in the south, the scheme is aimed at young people and adults who would benefit from developing life and work skills in a positive environment.
As well as mentoring the participants, Service instructors use firefighting activities to encourage and support confidence, self-esteem and teamwork.
Courses are commissioned by partners including local authorities, schools and charities.
The new name SPECTRA stands for Support, Purpose, Enthusiasm, Challenge, Trust, Resilience, Achievement – however, its dictionary definition is ‘classifying something in terms of its position on a scale between two extreme points’. This struck a chord with the delivery team as comparisons were made with each learner’s personal journey during a course and the impact the course can have on their development in a short period of time.
Youth Intervention Manager Rob Guy said: “The rebranding allows us to bring a refreshed look and feel to the courses, helping us to reach new partners while maintaining the relationships we have with our existing partners. Our aim is to help stimulate the demand for courses across the whole Service area, rather than being concentrated in areas where we already have good support.”
He added: “So many people in our communities will have been affected by the pandemic, and those agencies seeking to help them can commission a course for a specific cohort. SPECTRA provides a positive and supportive environment where participants use practical activities to work as part of a team, build self-confidence and develop essential life skills, with the added focus on health & wellbeing. Our firefighter instructors guide them through these experiences, supported by classroom learning, so they can truly understand what can be possible.”
To find out more about commissioning and/or funding a course, please visit www.dwfire.org.uk/SPECTRA or contact Rob Guy on [email protected] or 07739 899293.