More children to put in Danger just to save £200,000

LOLLIPOP men and women across Brent are set to lose their jobs as a result of council cuts.
Brent Council is planning to reduce the number of lollipop people from 47 to 17 by September.
The cull would save the council about £200,000 a year. To read the full story follow this link

Last week I highlighted the increase in accidents to children on the roads as a result of Boris Johnson cutting the funding to the Capital' road safety budget. The facts are there in black and white and no one it reading and paying attention. Why is this?

Unison Survey of School Crossing Patrols

If you are a Lollipop Person or work with School Crossing Patrols please follow this link to fill in a survey being carried out by Unison to guage the extent and severity of the cuts to the service across the country.

A Trip To Parliament

Last Thursday it was a  pleasure to meet the Shadow Transport Minister for road safety, Mr Jim Fitzpatrick  and have a meeting with him on the Houses of Parliament Terrace to discuss the Kids Cross Safely Campaign and my Lollipop Campaign. He was very supportive of all that we am trying to achieve and encouraged us to continue with what we are doing and encourage others around the country to fight for their local Lollipop People and safe crossing outside schools. Only by getting the issue into the main stream media will we make those in power look at and address our concerns. Until then David Cameron can just go on ignoring us.

More children hurt crossing roads after Mayor slashes budget

This is the proof of what happens when you mess with road safety. This is just what every sensible person knew would happen. This report is from today's Londond Evening Standard. Yesterday someone told me that Boris Johnson was responsible for removing pedestrian crossings on some routes in London because they hold up traffic and now this, the man's a buffoon.

The number of children injured on London's roads has risen by 150 since Boris Johnson cut funding for road safety, it emerged today.

Road safety campaigners said more children would be put at risk if Transport for London's support for boroughs was reduced further.
Many councils across London have already slashed the number of lollipop ladies as they are forced to tighten their belts.
In 2008-09, the year the Mayor took office, TfL's road safety spending stood at £58.8m, of which £30.3m went to the boroughs.
In 2010-11 just £24.5m has been allocated, £9.7m of which will go to town hall programmes.

David Cameron helps Launch UN Decade of Action for Road Safety In the UK

I was slightly bemused to read that David Cameron was helping to launch the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety in the UK. He has not stepped in to prevent Tory Councils from implementing cuts to the School Crossing Patrol Service the removal of which will lead to an increase of serious injuries and deaths to young people on our roads.

UK Prime Minister David Cameron has joined F1 stars Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button to launch the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety in the UK. They launched the Decade of Action together with ten schoolchildren in a Downing Street photocall.
Wearing the road safety Tag for the Decade of Action, the Prime Minister said that road deaths now represent a major global concern and combating them must become a development priority:
“Every six seconds, someone is killed or seriously injured on the world's roads. Addressing this must be an urgent priority for the international community. In the United Kingdom, we have managed to make our roads amongst the safest in the world. Yet, despite this road accidents are still the leading cause of death for British teenagers and young adults – with the loss of six or seven people in road crashes every day.
“That's why I'm adding my voice to all those across the world who are coming together in support of the launch of the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety.”

I have written to David Cameron, yet again on this matter, perhaps this time he'll take some action. However, I am not holding my breath.

National News Coverage

Very brief appearance this morning on the BBC News Channel and no mention of the campaign details in fact just one sentence but I hope the most important one. 'If these cuts are allowed to go ahead, without any shadow of a doubt there will be an increase in serious injuries and fatalities'. Additional coverage going out on BBC Spotlight tonight at 6.30pm.

BBC National News Coverage

Harry Allen, BBC Producer came to Weymouth today with his colleagues to film a piece about the effects of the cuts to a typical county, Dorset. They spoke to the me about the Save Our Lollipop People Campaign and to the Library protesters as well as Angus Campbell the Leader of Dorset County Council. The interview went well, the road was busy and noisy as usual I wish I had said other things or said things differently and they'll probably edit out the bits I think they should leave in but, I'm not complaining.
The piece will be on the national news on THURSDAY from 6.00am, 7.00am, 8.00am and again at 1.00pm.
This is a national issue and needs national coverage and then maybe someone who makes the rules will implement a national solution before any of the children get hurt. Hope you are listening Mr Cameron, Mr Clegg, Mr Baker, Mr Pickles. I would include Mr Milliband in there but since he never answers any of my letters I know he never listens anyway.

Children in Danger Because Stirling Council Can't Afford a Relief Lollipop Person

Crossing bungle enrages parents (full report)
OUTRAGED parents fear Bridge of Allan Primary School pupils' lives could be at risk after a lollipop man resigned and was not replaced.
Youngsters walked to school last week to find the school crossing patroller on the busy Henderson Street was no longer there.
It was the same day the school was promoting a special walk to school challenge, which prompted some parents to allow their children to walk the route themselves.

National News Coverage

Next week BBC News is coming to Dorset cover the Save Our Lollipop People campaign as part of a piece on cuts across Dorset. Dorset is being used as a typical county example of what is happening across the country one year on from the start of the coalition. I will reinforce the message that this is happening everywhere and that children should never be put at risk to save money and the service must be protected in the future.

Radio Coverage on The Coast 106 and The Breeze 107 [Updated]

A brief news item about School Crossing Patrols aired on The Breeze 107 today; listen below or click here to view on YouTube.



Coverage of the campaign was also featured on The Coast Radio Station (south coast) and the item on their news page can be viewed here.

Breaking down the barriers. The Olympian hurdles faced by children in walking to school

A report to mark the launch of National Walking Month May 2011
To mark the start of National Walking Month 2011, national charity Living Streets has surveyed over two thousand children and young people between the ages of seven and 14 from across the United Kingdom to
find out first hand how they view walking to school. They have produced a very interesting short report highlighting why the current generation of children has lost the 'walking habit' and the future implications for the health of these children as a result.

These are just two of the survey results that highlight why we must Save the Lollipop People

• Over a third (36%) are scared about walking to school because of speeding traffic.
• One in fi ve children and young people are concerned about the lack of safe crossing points on
their journey to school
.
To read the full report follow this link.

Haverhill in Suffolk agrees to fund Lollipop Poeple

It has started - the dividing up of the country into the 'have's and the have not's'. Haverhill Town Council in Suffolk has agreed to fund their school crossing patrols to the tune of £9,000 in the event that the rumour that new County Council Leader Mark Bee will not be fulfilling his initial promise to find county funding for the service. Why should the children in Haverhill be safe when other children in the county are put a risk because their local borough cannot find funding. For coverage of the story follow this link.