Crucial Crew helps over 1,000 students with invaluable life skills

07 Jul 2025

Over 1,000 primary school students have gained invaluable life skills to help keep them safe as part of a West Suffolk Council initiative held over the past fortnight.

Since it was launched in the mid-1990s, Crucial Crew has been helping young people prepare for the modern-day issues they may face. 

The programme is coordinated by West Suffolk Council as part of its strategic priority for thriving communities and delivered by a range of public sector and charity partners.

This year’s Crucial Crew, which ran from Wednesday 25 June to Monday 7 July at West Suffolk College, saw around 1,150 year six pupils from 36 West Suffolk schools take part – its highest attendance in five years.

Students learnt about fire prevention and what they should do if they are trapped in a bedroom fire through a simulation run by Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service. 

Abbeycroft Leisure, which runs the council’s leisure centres, taught the students about how to stay safe in and around water.

Restore Women’s Aid, a charity which helps victims of domestic abuse worked with the students to explore and understand respect and what it means for healthy relationships. 

The students also discussed understanding consent and boundaries with Brave Futures, a charity which offers specialist support for children and young people who have experienced sexual abuse. 

The Child Exploitation Hub worked with the year six students to help their understanding of child exploitation, so they are better prepared to avoid becoming victims themselves.

The primary school students also took part in sessions with Suffolk Police exploring the various types of hate crime and what the students should do if they come across it in real life. Police also discussed anti-social behaviour, the damaging impact it has on people’s life and how the students can report it.

Cllr Donna Higgins, Cabinet Member for Families and Communities at West Suffolk Council has been at Crucial Crew a number of times over the years including attending as a West Suffolk teacher. 

“As a teacher, I was always passionate about supporting and championing young people in our society and that is something I am continuing as a councillor,” Cllr Higgins said.

“Crucial Crew is all about situations that these young people may have to deal with during their lives and it equips them with the life skills so that they can make informed decisions to keep them safe.”

“I’ve been as both a teacher and a councillor and it’s always great to see students so engaged and asking questions. That, alongside the support of our partners, is what makes Crucial Crew the continuing success that it is, and I would like to thank everyone involved in this year’s event.”

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