A LEARNING village which has delivered essential life skills and safety education to countless children in Dorset has celebrated its 20th anniversary.

SafeWise, in Elliott Road, was opened by star of police drama Heartbeat, Nick Berry, and then Sports Minister Kate Hoey MP, alongside pupils from Longfleet Primary School in November 1998.

Since then, it has welcomed an estimated 250,000 children at its learning village in Bournemouth and its site in Weymouth - a fire safety facility which joined forces with the Bournemouth site under the SafeWise banner in 2014, before adding an extensive road layout in 2016.

The celebration event was attended by St John’s Ambulance chief executive Martin Houghton-Brown; SafeWise charity patrons Angus Campbell HM Lord Lieutenant of Dorset and Dorset High Sheriff Jacqueline Swift DL, along with current day Longfleet Primary School pupils.

SafeWise thanked key partners including Dorset and Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service; Dorset Police; the NHS; local authorities and corporate sponsors for their support; named a park in memory of Linzi Holt MBE - a respected former head of prevention at the fire service - and opened a time capsule from 1998 before throwing a street party on its indoor road network.

Chief executive Rob Hattersley said: “SafeWise has been at the heart of the community for the past 20 years. The community has embraced SafeWise and many people recall childhood visits with fondness. A large part of that is down to our band of unsung heroes - dedicated volunteers, past and present - and we would like thank them for all their efforts.

“We’re not only celebrating the past but looking forward to the next exciting chapter for SafeWise as we equip visitors with the skills, knowledge and confidence to enjoy active, fulfilling and safer lives in stronger communities."