CAMPAIGNING teenagers from a Mickleover school have launched a road safety group which has received endorsement from the Prime Minister’s office.
Four pupils from Murray Park School decided to launch the group following a visit from Brake, the national road safety charity, and they are now touring local primary schools giving their own presentation about the ways young people can make Derby’s roads safer for everyone.
Arjun Binning, 14, Archie Couchman, 13, Thomas Mills, 13, and George Ogan, 14, give up their free time to run the Murray Park for Brake group to encourage the community to be safer on the roads.
The youngsters have arranged a meeting with MP Chris Williamson later this month to discuss how the roads around the Murray Road school could be made safer for pedestrians and they also wrote to the Prime Minster to raise their concerns.
The group were ‘amazed’ when they received a response from 10 Downing Street thanking them for their “well-written letter”.
Arjun said: “I told the Prime Minister who we are and how we aim to improve road safety in our local area. I was very shocked to receive a reply and I’m thrilled, as I would love to go into politics one day myself.
“All four of us feel very passionate about road safety and we know that younger children may well listen to us, because it’s always better to hear advice from your peers.”
The pupils have already delivered their presentation to year seven students at their own school as well as 251 children at St Peter’s Junior School, in Littleover, and they are planning similar talks at Ravensdale Junior School and Mickleover Primary School.
The group is concerned about the growing number of parents parking irresponsibly outside school and would also like to see a bus stop on Brisbane Road moved further from the junction with Murray Road.
Tim Taylor, aspirations careers and employability coordinator, said: “The students have spent a lot of their own free time in making the project work and we are delighted that they have such enthusiasm and determination to promote road safety to both local schools and parents; they are a credit to Murray Park.
“Delivering an assembly to 251 children is never easy and this is the first time they’ve done something like this. Their teamwork has been great – they have worked out their individual strengths and support each other around this.
“Like many schools in Derby, at both pick-up and drop-off times, we have some parking issues and if the children themselves are concerned about this area we hope this will rub off on parents.”
The project is in partnership with Brake and Toyota Manufacturing UK Charitable Trust.
ENDS
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