MRI SAR Youth Team

Youth Team's report on the 2005 Harbour Festival

The event starts at 12.00 but the MRI SAR Team were down 7.00 setting up stalls and getting everything ready. At about 10.30 the stall holders came and started to set up.  

Then at 11.50am the MRI SAR Team, MRI SAR Youth Team, SAR newfoundland dogs and the HM Coastguard, were all on parade from Dunnottar Primary School and opening the harbour festival at 12 noon.  

As the Harbour Festival opens the harbour fills up and tv presenter Cheryl Paul says that she is delighted to be there and raise as much money as you can!  

There was demonstrations throughout the day with the MRI SAR Team doing an oranges exercise and with other great demonstrations throughout the day on land and on water.  

At 4.30 the MRI SAR Youth Team did an exercise that they had to abandon an burning boat. So, at one at a time, they jumped nito the water, putting one hand over thier nose and one over the lifejacket, and jumping in. They all jumped in and one drifts off; that is Rory with Mr Ropey. The others get into a survivor's circle and one notices there is one missing and they realise it is Rory and Mr Ropey. So the rest of them notice a liferaft and they get into it and then they see Mr Ropey and Rory struggling in the water, so one of them that are in the liferaft see Rory and Mr Ropey and with a rope line, one of them goes and gets Rory and Mr Ropey and takes him back to the liferaft and that was the end of the exercise.  

At the end, about 4.40pm, the Newfoundland dogs do an exercise and show off their skills then the event was closed and MRI better off with raising more than £5000, and thank you to everyone that came.  

Cliff-hanger’…the Play

Dates performed:

Tuesday 21st June; Aberdeenshire Pupils Forum, RGU, Aberdeen

Saturday 20th August, MRI Youth Talent Show, St Bridget's Hall, Stonehaven

Monday 22nd August, following Catherine Wheel's performance of 'Lifeboat', Town Hall, Stonehaven

It was a normal Thursday afternoon; we were down at MRI in the classroom when suddenly I found that we were rehearsing ‘Cliff-hanger’ again. The last time it was performed was when we were at the RGU trying to get the message across to people our own age, inevitably it was a long time ago and lines were not as good as they were but luckily, with the pressure of performing again, we all got our lines back to scratch. That, however, does not include the original cast as some of whom were unable to take part and substitutes were thrown in the deep end. Given that they had only one full day until the first performance, they learnt their lines exceptionally well.

We were asked to do the play on two occasions; one on Saturday afternoon at the Talent Show in St Bridgets and the other after the recital of ‘Lifeboat’ on Monday night. From mid-afternoon on Saturday, the team started arriving at St Bridgets and were rehearsing on the lawn at the side of the old church. The substitutes were doing very well and we all got caught up in the play that we missed our slot, which was supposed to be when the judges were deciding upon the winners. Luckily, we were able to get up on stage after the winners had been announced and it went very smoothly, despite the very small amount of space behind the curtains. A packed day on Sunday was spent at the harbour for the festival, having a run-through for the next night was not possible but not surprisingly, the rest of the team did amazingly well. ‘Lifeboat’ was performed with great talent and it was a challenge to keep up the standards. It was fortunate that the more nervous we got, the better we did.

Both occasions were a great opportunity to reach out to our peers and try to warn them of the dangers. We have had good fun with the play and finding some last minute replacements to help.

Your online shopping can support MRI;
log onto www.buy.at/mri

For further information, or to get involved with MRI in any way, please contact MRI
environment • tools • skills

 

Mosaic by Jamie

Mosaic created by Jamie,
a member of the MRI SAR Youth Team