Posters carry road safety message

A grandfather presented prizes to the winners of a school competition to design a road safety poster.

Mr Fred Wilde of Little Carlton organised the competition at Lowe’s Wong Junior School, Southwell, because he was concerned about the safety of pupils who had to cross Queen Street without the help of a crossing patrol.

His grandson, Jack Solomon (7) is a pupil at the school.

“The school is struggling to get hold of someone to do the road crossing patrol so the children can get safely across the road outside the school,” said Mr Wilde.

“I wanted to get across to the children how important it is when they come to a road, however busy it is, to remember all the things they should do to cross it safely.”

Mr Wilde said he hoped the competition would encourage children to ask their parents and grandparents to volunteer for the school’s crossing patrol.

“It would be fantastic if the children had a lollipop person to help them across the road safely,” he said.

Lowe’s Wong infants’ and junior schools have been without a crossing patrol since November 2006.

Mr Wilde presented Hobby Craft and WH Smith vouchers to the winners and runners-up in each year group and the overall winner of the competition.

Class teacher and the school’s art co-ordinator, Mrs Julie Smith, was the judge.

Freya Hodgkin (11) was the overall winner. Her poster showed a child crossing the road safely carrying a school bag and ice-cream on one half and the bag and ice-cream lying in the road on the other half to represent what would happen if the child was hit by a car.

“I made my poster really bright so that everyone will be aware of it and they could see it,” she said.