Faith Football - all equal at full time - then Firefighters lose on penalties to young Lutonians

Pic captions:
(1) Faith - fire team line up
(2) Kelvin Hopkins MP greets the line up from Faith
(3) Faith - fire service mascot smoke detector man
(4) Winning team at Faith event

Bedfordshire and Luton Fire and Rescue Service lost for the third year running in the Faith-based Football Community Cup staged at Luton Town FC - but won the bigger prize of keeping people safer at home and on the roads.

The event on Monday 17th May was the climax of a soccer season staged across Luton and sponsored by BLFRS. Called the Faith-based Football League, the games are designed to bring young people from all backgrounds closer together. And, as part of the project, young people meet BLFRS officers and are encouraged to take home fire safety messages to their families, as well as to drive more carefully on the roads.

This is the third year the Community Cup has been staged between a team of BLFRS staff and top players representing the Faith-based Football league. This year was the closest run competition, with the result being decided by penalties. It ended in a hat-trick of wins for the the Faith-based team.

Winners and losers were presented with their trophies by Chair of the Combined Bedfordshire and Luton Fire and Rescue Service Sian Timoney and Assistant Chief Fire Officer Simon Barker.

Said ACFO Barker:

“This is very important community link for us in Luton, as well as being a great opportunity to combine fire safety with football. We hope the young people involved have learned something about fire and road safety - and may even think about a career in the Fire and Rescue Service - then they can play for us and we can have have a chance of winning a match!”

Southern Area Commander Dave Fothergill whose Area team support and organise the event said: “Participation in this project has enabled us to more effectively engage with our local community and get our home and road safety messages across to young people and their families in Luton and surrounding areas. The project has been a great success and continues to develop with support from Beds Police and Luton PCT.

Organiser of the Faith-based Football League Butch Fazal told BLFRS:

“A big thank you for all the support you have given the project over the past two years and I hope the partnership continues to flourish.

“I thought the finale was an outstanding success and we that continue to build effective and sustainable partnerships.

“Your lads were magnificent and if it wasn’t for the goal post I think the trophy would be sitting in your fire station - 4-2 Year One, 2-1 Year Two, 2 -2 and then penally deciders in this Year 3

“I extend my thanks to everyone behind the scenes at BLFRS who made this year another success, in particular the Community Safety team in Luton .”

Luton Town FC generously allow their professional pitch and conference area to be used free of charge.

Chief Fire Officer Paul Fuller added: “This is the third year of this project which has brought together football teams from all areas of the community and united them in playing football. The finale is a chance to celebrate the success we have achieved in delivering community safety education, as well as encouraging much great participation in sport.

“The partnerships now being established will enable us to continue this community work among a diverse range of communities.”

*The finale was filmed by www.local-news.tv

and shown by Sky Sports News on Wed 19th May

Burger King Fire

More than 30 firefighters, five fire engines, an Aerial Platform, two water carrier vehicles and the Operation Support Unit were called to a fire at Burger King restaurant shortly after 10.30 am on Thursday May 13th.

Bedfordshire and Luton Fire and Rescue crews were at the scene for most of the day, fighting the blaze and then making sure it was fully extinguished, before conducting a fire investigation which suggested it had begun in an extractor fan duct.

At its height, flames from the blaze could be seen for miles.

Fire Chiefs take the plunge in Great Swim for charity

L - R Chief Fire Officer Paul Fuller, Assistant Chief Julian Sears, Deputy Chief Robert Hull and Assistant Chief Simon Barker

Chief Fire Officer Paul Fuller, his Deputy Robert Hull and Assistant Chiefs Simon Barker and Julian Sears are taking part in a one-mile outdoor swimming event on June 19th at Alton Water in Suffolk as part of the Great East Swim.

Wetsuits are part of the required safety wear to combat the cold, and they have fleeces badged up with Bedfordshire and Luton Fire and Rescue Service and Airwave, who are providing some sponsorship for them to take part in the event.

In taking part in the Great Swim challenge, the chiefs will be raising money for the Fire Fighters Charity which helps fire and rescue service staff who have been injured or suffered illness: www.firefighterscharity.org.uk

The fearless four will take the plunge again in the Great London Swim in the River Thames on 3rd July: www.greatswim.org

You can sponsor the Fire chiefs by going to www.justgiving.com/Simon-Barker1

Chief Fire Officer Paul Fuller, who is an experienced sub aqua diver, said:
“I usually like to stick to swimming in warm seas around coral reefs, so the cold water experience will be interesting. But it is all for a very good cause which is well supported by our firefighters and staff here at BLFRS."

* Airwave supply radios to emergency services across the UK - including Fire and Rescue Services

Top teams at Futsal tournament with BLFRS

Here are some of the top teams, with the BLFRS top team at the Futsal tournament

(1)in grey the University of Bedfordshire

(2)in blue Wootton Upper School

The BLFRS female futsal team were delighted to meet England and Chelsea player Siobhan Chamberlain

BLFRS in the red in action

Fire and Rescue Service is seeking female firefighters through football and futsal

Pic 1
Redborne winning Team Captain with, left, England star Siobhan and right Anika Leslie-Walker from the Beds FA

Pic 2
Winning Team Captain from Hastingsbury, Kempston with, left, Chair of the Combined Fire Authority Luton Cllr Sian Timoney

Fire and Rescue Service is seeking female firefighters through football and futsal for the goal of an:
Extraordinary Career
http://extraordinary.direct.gov.uk/index.aspx

A female five-a-side futsal tournament has been staged to encourage young women to get fit and consider a career as a firefighter.

Watching from the sidelines was England and Chelsea player Siobhan Chamberlain .

Run in conjunction with the Beds FA, Bedfordshire and Luton Fire and Rescue Service staff who are trained as football coaches helped to create futsal teams in schools and colleges then competed in a grand final on Wednesday 28th April.

The final was held at the Barker’s Lane sports stadium in Bedford with special presentations staged afterwards at the Bedford community fire station across the road. The winners were a team from Hastingbury School in Kempston (Over 16s) and Redborne in Ampthill (Under 16s) The trophy was presented by the Chair of the Combined Fire Authority Cllr Sian Timoney.

Project co-ordindator on behalf of BLFRS has been Watch Commander Matt Cross: “We have had a lot of support from firefighters, from BLFRS principal officers, from the Beds FA and from local schools, colleges and clubs. We had ten teams, involving more than 100 young women, competing in the final.

“We are always trying to encourage women to think about a career in the fire and rescue service and we hope this activity will help them to make that choice.

“Being role models for fitness is also important for firefighters who want to help young people avoid the health problems which can come with a lack of exercise.”

Those taking part in the games were young women aged 14 upwards who are interested in football and find futsal an exciting variation of the “beautiful game”.

The training of BLFRS staff as football coaches has allowed them to support various other soccer events involving young people in Bedfordshire and Luton.

BLFRS has a track record of supporting football teams and tournaments with a view to passing community fire safety messages on to children and their families and young people.

A major Faith Football tournament in Luton has twice resulted in a grand final at Luton Town FC with firefighters competing against a top squad of local soccer stars.

Firefighters also referee and run the line at a Nacro football tournament in Houghton Regis each year.

Chief Fire Officer Paul Fuller said: “Promoting fitness among young people is something which our firefighters can do by example.

“We also believe that encouraging young people to play team sports is a good way of them learning to work together while enjoying themselves.

“At the same time we hope to get across some messages to them about home fire safety and taking care on the roads, particularly those who are teenage drivers.

“This female futsal tournament is great for appealing to all those young women who are interested in football and fitness and who we want to encourage to become firefighters."

Film footage can be viewed on www.local-news.tv

Photographs will be posted on the Fire Chief’s Twitter www.twitter.com/firechiefblfrs

ends

England and Chelsea player Siobhan Chamberlain joins our football event on 28 April

Newflash: England team player Siobhan Chamberlain will join our event 28th April, Siobhan currently plays for Chelsea and has 16 CAPS for the England women’s senior team.

Fire and Rescue Service seeking female firefighters through football and futsal to embark on an : Extraordinary Career

A female five-a-side futsal tournament has been staged to encourage young women to get fit and consider a career as a firefighter.

Run in conjunction with the Beds FA, Bedfordshire and Luton Fire and Rescue Service staff have been trained as football coaches to help create futsal teams in schools and colleges which will then all compete in a grand final on Wednesday 28th April.

The final will be held at the Barker’s Lane sports stadium in Bedford with special presentations being held afterwards at the community fire station across the road.

Project coordindator on behalf of BLFRS has been Watch Commander Matt Cross: “We have had a lot of support from firefighters, from BLFRS principal officers, from the Beds FA and from local schools, colleges and clubs. We expect to have ten teams competing in the final.

“We are always trying to encourage women to think about a career in the fire and rescue service and we hope this activity will help them to make that choice.

“Being role models for fitness is also important for firefighters who want to help young people avoid the health problems which can come with a lack of exercise.”

Those taking part in the games so far have been girls aged 14 upwards who are interested in football and find futsal an exciting variation of the “beautiful game”.

The training of BLFRS staff as football coaches has allowed them to support various other soccer events involving young people in Bedfordshire and Luton.

BLFRS has a track record of supporting football teams and tournaments with a view to passing community fire safety messages on to children and their families and young people.

A major Faith Football tournament in Luton has twice resulted in a grand final at Luton Town FC with firefighters competing against a top squad of local soccer stars.

Firefighters also referee and run the line at a Nacro football tournament in Houghton Regis each year.

Chief Fire Officer Paul Fuller said: “Promoting fitness among young people is something which our firefighters can do by example.

“We also believe that encouraging young people to play team sports is a good way of them learning to work together while enjoying themselves.

“At the same time we hope to get across some messages to them about home fire safety and taking care on the roads, particularly those who are teenage drivers.

"The female futsal tournament is great for appealing to all those young women who are interested in football and fitness and who we want to encourage to become firefighters."

Details on careers for women in the fire service can be found at

http://extraordinary.direct.gov.uk/index.aspx

Kick off 3 pm - 5 pm followed by presentation at Bedford Fire Station in Barker's Lane.

Contact Jacquie Manners at Manners PR 07971 216014