Park and walk in Picton

Published by Roisin Rowley-Smith for Riverside in Communities and also in Education, Environment, Health, Housing

Social landlord Riverside is backing a campaign for road safety for children on Lawrence Road, Picton in Liverpool.

Children from St Hugh’s and Lawrence Community Primary Schools explored road safety in their area and identified issues such as speeding cars, dangerous parking, congestion and even cars mounting the pavement.  The children visited Liverpool Town Hall to voice their concerns to council officials, resulting in a promise of action from Mayor of Liverpool, Joe Anderson.

In the meantime, the schools have joined forces with police community support officers and social landlord, Riverside, to start a scheme to encourage children and their families to park and walk to school, in a bid to ease traffic hotspots.

Children, their parents and police meet once a week at Picton Park and walk to school together.  The community safety initiative means that fewer cars park around the schools, which are often heavily congested areas.

Riverside’s community engagement officer, Mark Browne, said:  “The schools approached us to support the scheme by funding promotional material.  We’re backing them, as the Park and Walk scheme not only promotes health and wellbeing for children and their families through exercise, but should make a difference to traffic congestion.”

Miss Bishop, from St Hugh’s Catholic Primary School, added:

“Working with Lawrence Community Primary School has been a great initiative to strengthen links between the two schools.  Children worked hard on designing stickers given to all those who take part in the walk.”

Stephen Agugua from Year 6, who was one of the winners from St Hugh’s said:  “It was an honour for my drawing to be chosen for the walk for health stickers.”