With Cape Chat turning 4 this month, Alice and Kate wanted to do something meaningful for Cape Chat’s team-building and strategy day and had the awesome opportunity to work with Kelee Arrowsmith from ACT Personal Safety. The one-day Safety Workshop, held at team member Margolite’s home, gave the team a real work out and heads up on Safety! Here are the team’s comments and some rather ‘revealing’ shots of the team members in action:
Liz Calvert: The self-defense course taught me to plan my strategy for any attack or burglary and that I can find a safe place to HIDE. Locking myself in my bathroom to call for help, while being burgled, had NEVER entered my mind. What a novel idea! No confrontation, I am safe and I get rescued! I learnt awareness, how to wise-up so not to be a victim in the first place, and therefore raising my confidence to be safe and generate my own safety wherever I am and whatever I am doing! (I also loved stabbing a bottle with a knife as it got out a lot of anger!)
Lynette Assad: The course was totally different! Kelee brought a strong reality check home. I’m more vigilant about my surroundings when I’m in my car at the traffic lights.
Georgie Wheeler: I loved how interactive the course was and I think the idea of having a ‘safe room’ in your home is really important – as well as ensuring your home is as safe as possible by following the steps that Kelee provided.
Rupert Jefferies: I never quite realized how threatening someone with a rubber knife and a loud voice, let alone real weapons, could be! I also found it interesting how the emphasis was not on attack but rather creating space and having an “escape” plan in place, thereby ensuring the safety of yourself and your family at all times.
Kate Bester: Planning, planning, planning! Planning your safety is the key thing I came away with. It was really empowering!
Alice Pohl: I’m passionate about preventing crime and developing skills around how to be prepared for this (unfortunately) all-too-predictable eventuality and we chose to do a Safety Workshop to empower ourselves and those close to us. WOW, we got so much out of the course and Kelee made learning about safety interactive and fun.
Lorryn Currie: The workshop really brought out the real world. It made me scared of reality, but in a good way!
Cathy Quickfall: Hmmm… a very necessary look at how unaware some of us are. It pays to be aware.
Margolite Williams: The workshop taught me to be more aware of my surroundings and not to be so casual with my security procedures, e.g. closing my sliding gate before I get out of the car! I felt quite alarmed by what she had to say about crime. I realize one needs to be aware and sensitive and alert, but not to the degree that it makes you become too negative about life. I can’t bear the thought of living in fear all the time. Protect yourself as much as possible and be prepared, but don’t give in to the fear factor…
Kelee Arrowsmith from ACT Personal Safety runs home-based and corporate workshops. She can also tailor-make a safety workshop based on your industry (e.g.: for estate agents, B&B owners etc.). Email Kelee at info@advancedconflict.com or call her on 083 626 2888 for more information.