A regional competition run by Walk Wheel Cycle Trust and Strathclyde Partnership for Transport saw 700 school pupils from 32 schools submit banner designs for their school gates – to promote safe driving and encourage active travel, during national Road Safety Week.
Braehead Primary School celebrated their winning banner, designed by P2 pupil Willow. Credit: Michael Kelly.
The competition asked pupils across the Strathclyde region (including Glasgow and surrounding areas) to design a banner for their school gates, which encouraged active journeys to school.
Budding young artists were asked to create a design that showed how choosing to walk, wheel, scoot or cycle can make our streets safer, boost our health and help tackle climate change.
Out of over 700 entries from 32 schools, the winning design came from a P2 pupil at Braehead Primary School in Dumbarton, 6-year-old Willow Galloway.
On Monday 17 November, the first day of national Road Safety Week, local MSP Jackie Baillie joined Walk Wheel Cycle Trust, SPT and the Vice Convener of Education at West Dunbartonshire Council on a visit to Braehead Primary to present Willow with her winning banner.
Local MSP Jackie Baillie presented Willow with her winner's certificate before revealing the banner at the school gates. Credit: Michael Kelly.
Willow had this to say after being acknowledged with a special school assembly:
“I feel proud of myself and I feel happy. I wasn’t expecting that it was going to be like this, and I was a wee bit nervous to do it.”
On her inspiration for her design, she said:
“What I want to happen is that people do road safety even more. I usually walk to school and sometimes I get the car. And sometimes I skip to school. Usually my dad skips with me and if we’re a wee bit early, I get something to eat!”
Many pupils at Braehead Primary walk, wheel, cycle or scoot to school regularly. The school also has a road safety group where pupils themselves lead on promoting safe travel. Credit: Michael Kelly.
With over 700 brilliant entries from 32 schools across the region, it’s clear that young people in the area are passionate about getting active on their journey to school.
Lily, another pupil at Braehead Primary, said:
“I walk to school with some of my friends and we all like to bike. It's good bonding time to chat and talk about stuff. It's a good time to get out all our sad feelings."
On whether she thinks the banner will help, Lily said:
"Cars will be more aware of road safety, like people crossing the road. And they'll make sure that they're going at the speed limit or below."
The designs we received during the competition showed many pupils' concerns about safety on their local streets, and the impact of driving on the environment.
This echoes the results of our Children’s Walking and Cycling Index report for Scotland, published earlier this year.
The research showed that pupils across Scotland want to walk, wheel, cycle and scoot, but they need more support to be able to do so.
Whether that be through improved safety at school gates through School Street schemes, or through the opportunity to learn essential cycling skills via the Bikeability programme.
Our I Bike programme currently supports schools in 7 local authority areas across Scotland, delivering Bikeability as part of a whole school approach to active travel. Credit: Michael Kelly.
Another important piece in the puzzle is parents. Gregor Morrison, Headteacher at Braehead, spoke to us about the need to get the message out:
"I think a lot of it comes down to promotion and advertising the reasons why. Whether it be promotion by the children like through this project, or even just regular reminders to parents that there are other options available."
"We also speak to our parent council about ways they could promote this through their channels of communication. Is there a way that parents can work together and actually travel together? And quite a few parents do take that on board."
Linking to Learning for Sustainability and Rights of the Child, the school encourages pupils to share their views and make a difference in their local community. Road safety and active travel is part of this. Credit: Michael Kelly.
Although many local areas across Scotland are making strong progress to improve infrastructure and enable people – both young and old – to choose active ways of getting around, there are gaps.
By raising awareness of these issues during national Road Safety Week, we hope that more schools and local communities are motivated to push for this change.
Because every child should have the opportunity to walk, wheel, cycle or scoot to school safely and joyfully.
Safe active journeys to school is a priority in our charity’s strategy for the next five years. This involves working with regional partners and both local and national government to make change happen. Credit: Michael Kelly.
