Video Footage of the March

A video from Saturday's protest march is available on the right of the page. Alternatively click here to watch it full screen via YouTube.

The Current Total

After additional petitions were handed in today, the total now stands at nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety-five.

Dorset Echo: Vote to Save Our Lollipop People

After today's Dorset Echo coverage the website has launched a vote on whether you think the School Crossing Patrols should be scrapped. Click here.

I've voted!

TV Coverage

This is the Television coverage of the Protest March. Unfortunatley the BBC coverage is not available on the internet.
ITV News (Meridian, West Country): 29th January 2011
Lollipop Cuts Protest

Families angry at plans to cut lollipop patrols across Dorset have marched to County Hall. The local authority needs to make savings of nearly 60 million pounds to balance its books and wants to stop funding patrols in a bid to claw back £200,000.

For previous coverage, see the In the Press tab.

"No ifs, No buts, No Lollipop Cuts!"

 
We have just finished the March to County hall, it was a great turnout in the cold weather. The amount of signatures handed in was 9040. (compared to the 5000 target.) The event has already been reported on Wessex FM, and reporters attended from BBC, ITV West Country, the  Dorset Echo, the View from Weymouth and the Western Gazette.

Once again, I would like to give a massive thank you to everyone who signed, marched and gave their continued support. However, I would encourage everyone to continue the protest by emailing or writing to our councillors and MPs. Hopefully we will have done enough to change the Council's decision in the meeting on the 17th February.

THE PETITION: Over Eight Thousand Signatures

The Petition which will be handed to Councillor Crowhurst tomorrow morning currently stands at 8247 signatures with more expected to be handed in tomorrow. Thank you to all the schools who took part, hope to meet some of you personally tomorrow.

MARCH TO COUNTY HALL, DORCHESTER ON SATURDAY (TOMORROW)

I will be leading a March to County Hall on Saturday 29th January to hand in the petition to stop the cuts. At present the petition has over 4500 signatures with more still coming in. If you wish to join the March please assemble in the Market Car Park, Fairfield Road, Off Weymouth Avenue, Dorchester DT1 2EN by 11.00am. Children and families inparticular are most welcome as we need to emphasise that these are the children who will become victims if the cuts to the Lollipop People go ahead. If you know you will be there please email save_lollipop_people@yahoo.com and let me know so that we can have enough Police traffic management.

BBC South will be there to film the event.

Protesting in a Democracy (or not)

In 2009 The Local Democratic Economic Development and Construction Act was passed that made it law that all local government authories must have in place by the end of 2010, an e petition service so that members of the public could easily make their views know! A DCC document states that this service was to be in place by 15th December 2010. Lots of other County Councils have the service up and working but not DCC.
Dorset citizens have been denied their democratic right to protest because DCC has not put this service in place. This means the people protesting the library cuts, the elderly care cuts and the lollipop cuts must all submit paper petitions.
Is it a co-incidence that the proposed cuts came out at the beginning of December and a simple means to protest, which was due then, was not available? Interstingly, I learnt today that the e petition service for Dorset residents will go live on Monday. That is the last day that petitions objecting to proposed cuts can be submitted to County to be considered in the budget discussions. Should I mention the word CONSPIRACY? Democracy my foot!

School Crossing Patrols Staying In Bournemouth

Children in Bournemouth and Poole will be safe because their Council will not be cutting the School Crossing Patrol Service! I hope the DDC Councillors reponsible for the proposal to put our children's lives at risk are squirming, as they should. Follow link for full story on Heart FM.

A March to COUNTY HALL, DORCHESTER

I plan to lead a March to County Hall on Saturday 29th January to hand in the petition to stop the cuts. If you wish to join assemble in the Market Car Park, Fairfield Road, Off Weymouth Avenue, Dorchester DT1 2EN at 11.00am. Children and families inparticular are most welcome as we need to emphasise that these are the children who will become victims if the cuts to the Lollipop People go ahead. If you know you will be there please email save_lollipop_people@yahoo.com and let me know so that we can have enough Police traffic management.

Leicester City Council drops plans to axe Lollipop People

Leicester City Council is yet another organisation that has made the right decision about protecting the lives of young people. Follow the link in the press tab for full details.

Norfolk County Council listen to their public and don't cut Lollipop People

Norfolk County Council when faced with the need to make cuts to its serivces consulted the public in 'The Big Conversation' as a result of this consultation the recommendation from the Leader of the Council to the next council meeting on 14th Feb is that ..

6B School crossing patrols - delete this proposal (to cut the service). The safety of young children must continue to be an important priority and I am convinced by arguements that the value of this service to local communities far outstrips the relatively small saving that its removal would produce.

A county council with a heart, well done them.

Souce here

New Version of Petition

A new version of the petiton is online which includes numbering for each signature 1 - 25 this will make it easier to calculate the number of signatures collected. Please use this version in future.

What does a life cost?

According to Department of Transport figures the average cost to society (Police, NHS etc.) of a death, serious injury or slight injury on our roads is £47,740. The cost of a death alone can be an average of £1,585,510.  This does not include the emotional trauma to both victim, driver, family and schoolmates, something that in many cases may never be recovered from.

DCC may save £200,000 but at what cost elsewhere?

Wessex FM News

Interesting Wessex FM news today. First item - petition to stop DCC and West Dorset District Council SPENDING 50 million on the Charles Street Council offices and Library development in Dorchester. Second item - petition to stop DCC making cuts to the School Crossing Patrols to SAVE £200,000. Um let me see... new offices or saving children's lives... I will be signing the first petition so the second one can benefit from the money saved.

Dorset Echo Coverage

Dorset Echo continues to cover the campaign to stop the cuts planned for the School Crossing Patrol service. See press tab.

Dorset Couty Council extends the consultation period by 3 months

DCC yesterday announced that they would be extending the period for consultation with local communities, parish councils, and schools regarding the funding of the School Crossing Patrols or the finding of volunteers. For BBC coverage click the Press tab.
In real terms this extension is meaningless and is simply a knee jerk reaction to the request by local MP Richard Drax for them to make the cuts elsewhere as he is concerned for the safety of the children. Extending the consultation period will just mean 3 extra months for volunteers not to come forward and unless there is a sudden unexpected and sharp upturn in the present economic situation there will still be no money available in local communities or schools to fund this service.
Is it fair that if by some slim chance one school manages to find funding and their children are safe and yet another school in a more deprived area is unable to find funding or by the nature of the area, volunteers, and the children there are knocked down, injured or killed?
The only solution is for DCC to continue to provide this service for all children across the county.

Latest Echo Coverage: MP Richard Drax ask DCC to Reconsider Cuts

The Dorset Echo: 17th January 2011
MP Drax opposes Dorset County Council over lollipop patrols

SOUTH Dorset MP Richard Drax is pleading with the Tory-led county council to think again over the axing of Dorset’s lollipop pat-rols.
The Conservative MP waded into the debate as a campaign supported by parents and schools gathers pace.

Dear Mr Cameron

This is the letter which was sent to Prime Minister David Cameron accompanying letters written by Year Six pupils.

Dear Mr Cameron,

Please find enclosed some letters from the children at Holy Trinity School in Weymouth, Dorset. The children seem to believe that if you have a serious problem which needs sorting out, you write to the man at the top.

These letters have been written because Dorset County Council is planning to cut the funding of the School Crossing Patrol service across the whole of Dorset. This will save £200,000 and cost 65 jobs, which is I believe a mere 0.03% of the total Dorset Budget.

What is Safeguarding?

The Government has defined the term ‘safeguarding children’ as:

‘The process of protecting children from abuse or neglect, preventing impairment of their health and development, and ensuring they are growing up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care that enables children to have optimum life chances and enter adulthood successfully.’

School Pupils send letters to David Cameron about School Crossing Patrols

The Dorset Echo: 14th January 2011
Holy Trinity pupils join Weymouth lollipop patrol campaign

CHILDREN feel so strongly about the loss of their lollipop patrol they are taking it to the top.
Pupils aged 10 and 11 from class 6P at Holy Trinity School in Weymouth have written letters to Prime Minister David Cameron asking him to act over Dorset County Council proposals to axe school crossing patrols.

Send a Protest Letter!

Sample protest letters have been added to the tab at the top of the page. Feel free to modify them and send them to Councillors or MPs.

New Dorset Echo Press coverage

Click on the In the Press tab for the latest Echo headline as well as TV coverage.

BBC News Coverage

A feature on our campaign can be seen now on BBC Iplayer (it starts at around 5 mins in). Also we are expecting coverage on ITV West Country today although we were not featured yesterday.

Featured on TV today!

Tune in to ITV South West tonight at 6.00 and BBC South at 6.30. Both programmes did an interview about the campaign with me at 8.30 this morning.

Important: New Deadline for Petitions

I have been informed today that all petitions and protests against the cuts to School crossing Patrols must be with Dorset County Council by Monday 31st January, if they are to be considered when the discussion takes place. Therefore those being sent back to Holy Trinity must arrive before that date.

More about Our Campaign in the Press

Save Our Lollipop People has been featured on Wessex FM and in the Dorset Echo today. Click over to the In the Press page to see more information

An Interesting Fact

The total gross Dorset County Budget for 2010/11 is £650m therefore the saving of £200,000 that they propose to make by cutting the School Crossing Patrols is 0.03% of the whole budget. Not 1% or 5% but 0.03%.
60 plus jobs to go, children's lives put at risk to make this measily saving.

Facebook Group

Show your support by joining the Facebook group. We currently have 93+ members.

Save our Lollipop People Petition is featured on BBC News

See the article here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-dorset-12146549

Tell Us Your Experiences

If you are a lollipop person, or you would like to tell us of your experiences of School Crossing Patrols, feel free to contact us with your stories. The Campaign's email address is save_lollipop_people@yahoo.com .

Read about School Crossing Patrols from the Press

A new page has been added with articles from the local and national press concerning lollipop men and ladies. Click on the In the Press tab to view it now

Facts, history and research added

To view information about School Crossing Patrols, visits The Facts tab.

Stop the Cuts Poster: Show your Support

This poster can be used by schools in addition to the petition. It can be downloaded here in the PDF format.

Petition Launched

You can now view our petition by clicking on the Petition tab above.

Welcome to 'Save our Lollipop People'

Hello, welcome to our blog. As concerned parents of children attending the largest Primary School in Dorset, we were alarmed to hear in December 2010 of plans by Dorset County Council to cut funding for School Crossing Patrols.

We hope to persuade the Council to reconsider the removal of School Crossing Patrols in Dorset, which we believe will have serious implications for the health and safety of our children.

We believe that if we manage to make a change, we will inspire others to follow our example and make a positive difference to the safety of our young people.

Please follow us and check back for updates in the near future. Thank you for reading!