Buckie High honours stalwart Community Alert Day organiser for ‘tremendous’ commitment
A former Buckie Community High School (BCHS) teacher’s commitment to an annual health awareness day for young people has been hailed.
Since 2011 P7 pupils from the Buckie area have made their way every June to BCHS to take part in the Community Alert Day (CAD).
CAD was first held back in 2011 and is believed to be the only one of its kind in Moray. It was the brainchild of highly respected and inspirational football coach, the late David 'Parro' Findlay. The aim since that first session has remained to raise awareness of the dangers of drugs and alcohol and to encourage youngsters adopt healthy, active lifestyles.
It has since become an integral part of the school’s transition programme for kids stepping up to S1, with each year’s central theme reflecting health and wellbeing issues which are centre stage at the time.
At a recent presentation, now retired depute rector Moira Taylor was lauded for her role in helping the event run smoothly and progress from the BCHS side of things. For the last six years or so she has taken on the role of one of the event organisers. She was presented with a number of gifts as a token of gratitude for all her work and commitment by the event’s new joint organisers, Councillor Sonya Warren and Mel Smith.
Looking back to CAD’s beginnings at a public meeting held in Buckie Thistle’s function hall, Mrs Taylor said: “I remember Nigel Engstrand, who was a deputy [rector] then, and myself went along, and that was when a committee was formed.
“Parro was picking up that some of the youngsters that were really talented at football were taking a few risks, and that maybe they were getting into hot water, so we tried to put out the message.
“It was mainly about drugs and alcohol at that point, but then we branched out and we involved the Coastguards, because our kids go to dooking at Portknockie etc and that's pertinent to our community rather than any other, maybe, in Moray. So, as I said, we're trying to cater for the Buckie kids.”
She went on to describe how much she has enjoyed being apart of CAD over the years.
“One of the things I’ve enjoyed about it is that it's the first day when the P7s come up to the school and they see each other and they're in their House groups.
“However, it's important for me that they've learned. I've had feedback, say, from Darren [Bremner] the Harbourmaster, that he's met kids during the summer. I can’t remember where it was he said he met them but they spotted him and were showing off what he'd taught them, doing what he said,
“I loved hearing these little anecdotes about how the message has actually hit home and they've taken it away with them.
“It's evolved every year; Out of the Darkness Theatre productions have been quite a big part as well, showcasing an important issue during each event. They put you on a performance and then there's questions and answers at the end.
“It's been a good team effort all round - it's definitely not just been me!”
She added that CAD’s relevance remained undiminished, and while some of the subject matter over the years may have appeared contentious to some, it was something nevertheless flagged up as highly relevant by primary school colleagues.
Councillor Warren paid tribute to the “tremendous” amount of work Mrs Taylor devoted to CAD.
She continued: “Moira's done a tremendous amount, she really has been the glue that's held everything together and done so much work.
“I know just doing the little bits and pieces that I've done so far how much work she’s actually done. There's so many different strands to tie together because you cover so many things.
“I think it's proved to be a very successful format and that everybody gets to experience everything so myself and Mel won’t be wanting to change something that works well. It's still very much a relevant thing, it's quite a good informal way of pupils all coming together for their first day at high school and seeing all their new friends that they're going to have.
“It’s about experiencing all the different things and looking at all the different challenges that have been covered over the years. Some have stayed the same, but some you sort of had to take in extra bits. For example, vaping wasn't a thing 10 years ago so we have to keep moving.
“You can't just avoid talking about them. They're not too young.”
The presentation was also a special moment for S1 student Kadyn Tucker who was presented with the Parro Quaich for his poster design depicting what he learned when he attended this year’s Community Alert Day.
Since 2011 CAD has run annually part from a two-year break over 2020 and 2021 enforced by Covid restrictions.
