| Alan Gordon Drinkall |
| Taken From Wetherby News - 31 December 2009 |
| Wetherby man who helped thousands of youngsters learn about safety awarded M.B.E. |
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| A former Harrogate police officer who served 30 years in the force has been nominated an MBE in the New Year's Honours List. |
| Wetherby man Alan Gordon Drinkall has been awarded the MBE for services to the community in North Yorkshire. |
| Mr Drinkall, who retired from North Yorkshire Police Force in 2005, joined North Yorkshire Police in 1975 aged 29, having completed a period of military service and work within the private sector. |
| He started the multi-agency Crucial Crew initiative, aimed at preparing and informing Year 6 primary school children about the dangers they face in every day life and actions to take in an emergency. |
| As a result of the early success of Crucial Crew in the Harrogate district and the promotion of the initiative by PC Drinkall, it went on to be adopted in York, Hambleton, Richmond and Scarborough in 1993, with over 95 per cent of Year 6 pupils attending in the county. |
| Now almost 10,000 children across North Yorkshire and The City of York annually attend six Crucial Crew events to learn about "hands on" safety with the chance to experience potentially dangerous situations in a safe and supervised environment. |
| Mr Drinkall was also given a Lifetime Achievement Award by North Yorkshire Police in 2005 shortly after he retired. |
| He was presented with the award at a dinner held at Duncombe Park, Helmsley, which was attended by stars of the Heartbeat TV series. |
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