The parent council, have worked closely with the pupils of Lawthorn Primary to discuss the issues surrounding road safety in the local area.  Within the school there are representatives that are Junior Road Safety Officers (JRSO) who consult the other young people on issues relating to safe travel in the surrounding community area.  The school has 284 pupils that travel from Girdle Toll area/ Montgomerie Park.  The young people have told us that they feel unsafe when not traveling to school by car.  We have a very small carpark, and surrounding areas has narrow roads where during pick up and drop off both sides of the road are filled with parked cars making it unsafe for young people to cross.   Health and wellbeing is so important for our young people, being able to exercise whilst traveling to and from school safely increases physical health but also wellbeing, being outdoors, meeting friends and traveling together whilst also learning invaluable skills like road safety and independent travel.  The JRSO would also like to do more initiatives from points in the community including walking buses and cycle to school programmes.  Reducing car pick up and drop off also works towards the councils target of tackling climate change and young people leading the way in climate action. The JRSO have asked young people what they would like to see and they have asked for £1268.48 (inclusive of VAT)

This money would buy:

• A banner 8ft x 1ft no parking on zig zags
• ‘No parking’ sign for lamppost 
• 4 parking dummies (2 drop off only, 2 no parking on zig zags)
• Traffic cones no parking x 6
• 2 pavement signs (parking here may endanger your child's life).

These items will:

• Discourage people from parking in the drop off bay and unsafe manoeuvring in the area.
• Remind parents and carers not to park or stop for picks ups keeping the area clear for safe travel in front of the school gates.
• Create safe crossing for children and young people.

The young people involved in the project said “We feel that this would be a great chance for us and the parent council to help us in our goal of encouraging more young people and families to travel safely, help the environment and improve our wellbeing.  The parent council have listened to what we need, and we have really enjoyed being part of this application.”

By voting for this bid it ensures that UNCRCs Article 31 ‘A right to play’ gives young people the feeling of safety going to and from school in ways that they associate with play and connecting with others.

As a club we are always trying to improve the opportunities available to the children however we are constantly coming up against financial barriers due to the rising costs of hiring pitches, referee fees, coaches education and general equipment. We are currently raising money to take the team to a football tournament in Barcelona during the easter holidays 2025 which is a 5 night stay including 4 days of football for the children. This is a great opportunity for the team to socialise and have a weekend with their family and friends whilst playing competitive football. Some of the boys in the team have never been abroad so this is a huge opportunity for them and being accepted for this grant would help us reach our target ensuring that no boy misses out due to the cost for their family. If successful with this grant we would use the money to cover the cost of the tournament entry which is £140 and the cost of the bus to transfer the boys from the hotel to the tournament each day which is £675