Safety on Dartmoor Day at Lydford Summer Fair
Safety on Dartmoor Day will be combining with Lydford Summer Fair again to provide an excellent day out for all the family over the bank holiday weekend on Saturday 28th May in Lydford Sports Field from 11am to 4pm. This fun and informative event has now been running very successfully for five years and there will once again be representatives from Dartmoor National Park Authority, Lydford Gorge National Trust, the emergency services, MOD, Dartmoor Search and Rescue Team, Camels Head specialist rescue team, Devon Air Ambulance Trust and St John's Ambulance.
There will be plenty of opportunities to sit in fire engines, police cars, land rovers, ambulances and vintage tractors as well as meet some of the Dartmoor rescue dogs and police dogs, and talk to fire-fighters, police officers and ambulance staff who will all be giving up their time to attend this worthwhile event. The MoD will have ammunition displays and be able to advise on walking safely in areas used for Dartmoor’s military ranges. Rob Taylor, sector ranger for the DNPA, will be on hand to discuss Dartmoor's attractions and the best areas to visit, as well as how to enjoy Dartmoor responsibly. The fire service may also bring along a portable driving simulator that demonstrates the dangers of drunk driving or texting and driving. The air ambulance and police helicopter will both be making a fly-past during the day as long as call-outs permit and there is also a chance that this might be the year that a Battle of Britain Spitfire completes a fly-past for the event; the organisers have tried to book the Spitfire for the last four years but due to the weather or other commitments it has not been possible up to now - so fingers crossed for this year!
Shelterbox will be attending for the first time, with some of the emergency shelters and supplies they provide to support communities in crisis around the world. Okehampton ATC will again be at the event after last year's popular climbing experience on their seven-metre-climbing tower. Devon Wheels 2 Work will also be on hand to talk about their valuable work helping people in Devon and Somerset to get on the road and access work and training, with cost-effective scooter and motorcycle rental.
In addition there will be all the fun of the Summer Fair with stalls, games, refreshments and a family dog show run by Margaret Green Animal Rescue’s Wingletang Centre, where canines of all descriptions are encouraged to try their paw at winning one of the categories. Kountry Kit will have a stall, as will Dartmoor Conservation Meat and a number of local businesses and producers of arts and crafts.
This is an excellent opportunity for everyone who lives and works on Dartmoor or just enjoys spending recreational time on Devon's beautiful moorland, to find out a little more about how Dartmoor National Park rangers and the emergency services and charities work in partnership to keep people safe on Dartmoor. They hope that by sharing that information with the public it will enable them to provide a better service and that people will either avoid danger or know who to turn to for help if they find themselves in a difficult situation. So come along and meet the people who help to look after Dartmoor and keep its users safe.