Mersey Reporter - #Merseybites #News

FAMILIES in Merseyside were chosen to celebrate the tenth birthday of Safety Seymour; a beloved mascot which promotes carbon monoxide (CO) safety to young children; as part of a special family day at Fazakerley Community Federation.

Hosted by Cadent, the UK's largest gas distribution network, over 50 children learnt about the dangers of CO; a poisonous gas you can't see, hear, smell, taste or touch. Each child also took home a free CO alarm, as well as a goody bag filled with educational materials for both the children and their parents and guardians.

Safety Seymour has been teaching about the dangers of CO for 10 years now, reaching hundreds of thousands of children in schools across the UK. For his tenth birthday, Cadent hosted a special family picnic, at Fazakerley Community Federation; 1 of its 350 Centres for Warmth.

As well as learning from and meeting Seymour, children got to step inside a real Cadent truck, as well as see Cadent's new motorbikes. During the time, adults were supported by the team Fazakerley Community Federation, who offered them energy efficiency and carbon monoxide advice.

Colette Mooney from Fazakerley Community Federation, said:- "It's been such a fantastic day to celebrate Safety Seymour's birthday. Partnering with Cadent has had such a fantastic impact on the local community, where we are able to offer energy efficiency advice, as well as items to keep people safe and warm. The kids all loved the family picnic and hopefully we've inspired them to think more about CO safety."

According to insight from the Carbon Monoxide Research and Analytics (CORA) platform, which is supported by the Gas Distribution Networks, including Cadent, 95 per cent of CO alarms were not tested at all in 2024. With September historically seeing a surge in CO leaks, Cadent continues to support people by offering free CO alarms through its partners to families living in vulnerable situations, and educating people of all ages about the dangers and risks associated with the poisonous gas.

Phil Burrows, Head of Customer Vulnerability and Social Impact at Cadent, said:- "Today marks a significant day for Cadent as we celebrate 10 years of our amazing Safety Seymour CO education programme. It's essential that everyone is educated about CO and we strongly believe that this should start at the early ages. By educating children, we hope to pass on life skills that will keep them safe but also their newfound knowledge with their families."

The Safety Seymour sessions are delivered by Bonanza Creative, which delivers impactful social programmes for young people across the UK.