A week in the woods gives students a taste of life in service

More than 140 students spent four days learning army manoeuvres, police riot control tactics and much more as part of their exciting Public Services course.

Level 2 and 3 Public Services students set up camp in Walesby Forest, near Ollerton in Nottinghamshire, for the special training exercise between 15th – 19th November 2021.

They were joined by members of the Army and Nottinghamshire Police who provided invaluable insights into everything from crime scene investigation, a simulated road traffic collision and riot control, to battlefield casualty triage, night-time navigation, communication, team work and leadership skills.

Tim Turner, Curriculum Manager for Public Services, said: “Our annual trip to Walesby Forest is without doubt one of the highlights of the year for our students.

“At Loughborough College, we take great pride in providing real-world opportunities that take students out of their comfort zone, teach them crucial skills get them working with the police and army.

“The trip culminated with a helicopter landing display and a night-time search and rescue exercise for a missing person which put these skills into practice. It was a fantastic few days which have genuinely enriched the experience of our students.”

The Police gave students tours of vehicles, gave training in crime scene preservation and investigation, explained their role in handling warrants and working in the community.

Meanwhile, the Army set up battlefield casualty simulations in which students had to react quickly to help people with life-threatening injuries.

Students were also put through their paces in a number of physical tasks such as quick marching, drills, night-time navigation, working in teams to transport heavy logs to build communication and leadership skills and learning semaphore as a non-verbal communication skill.

They were even given the use of a drone as part of a cyber security exercise, as well as capturing some outstanding footage from the forest.

Student Reegan Patel said: “It was worth the long wait! On a personal level, I found it exhilarating, fun and active. From sleeping in tents and having the camping experience to having the police and army on site was great. It all adds to our learning in college.

“We were also to take part in a night-time “missing person” search which contributed towards one of our assignments for this semester which we were really grateful for.”

Fellow student Ruby Ayres said: “The idea of sleeping in a tent in the middle of November was very daunting to me, but as soon as we arrived at the camp site the fun began. We spoke to new people in our course & made new friends that we hadn’t spoken to beforehand due to being in college on different days.”

She said the night-time exercises and speaking to the Army were top highlights of the trip and an eye-opening experience.  

“The tasks we had to do were overall very educational & made me personally think about different careers options in the future,” she added.