A team of students from the CBS Secondary School in Mitchelstown who made farm safety for children their priority for the Young Social Innovators competition, were recognised recently at a mayoral reception in County Hall.
At the national final of the YSI competition, they won the National Young Social Entrepreneurs Award and also won bronze in the competition overall.
Students Richard Maher, David Blackburne, Colin Devaney and Kevin Coleman were joined by their mentor and TY coordinator Ms Carmel Ryan and their families, at the mayoral reception in County Hall.
The students had developed a mini company called C.A.L.F. (Calling All Little Farmers) and developed a farm safety pack aimed at primary school children, which included a book written and illustrated by the boys, a wristband, hi-vis vest, quizzes, stickers, posters and a C.A.L.F. Farm Safety certificate.
Their project was particularly appropriate, given the amount of farmers in the Mitchelstown area and the focus on the agri-food sector.
Through their research, they were shocked to find that there had been 194 farm fatalities in the past ten years and they wanted to teach children about farm safety in a fun and educational way.
Their packs were distributed to more than fifty primary schools and they also met with the Taoiseach Enda Kenny, Minister Simon Coveney, Dairygold CEO Jim Woulfe and former IFA President Eddie Downey.
The potential of their mini-company was recognised and the boys worked with Caroline Casey in Cork County Council to develop a farm safety book ‘Sally and Jack, Stay Safe on the Farm’.
The CBS boys now hope to continue their work on this very worthwhile project in the coming year.
