Supporting a safe return to the classroom – School Streets needs you

Brighton and Hove City Council is asking parents, carers and residents if they can help support the safe travel of children into some of the city's schools.
By Charlotte Harding
Published 1st Oct 2020, 14:13 BST
Updated 1st Oct 2020, 14:14 BST
Parent and volunteer Alberto Zanni manning a road closure close to Brunswick Primary SchoolParent and volunteer Alberto Zanni manning a road closure close to Brunswick Primary School
Parent and volunteer Alberto Zanni manning a road closure close to Brunswick Primary School

A number of Brighton and Hove schools are taking part in the council's School Streets project, which sees temporary timed closures of roads close to schools’ entrances during drop-off and pick-up times, during term time.

The closures are managed by trained volunteers, most of whom are parents or carers of children attending the school. But there’s a need for more so that each school can manage the closures each day.

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Alberto Zanni volunteers at Brunswick Primary School, one of those taking part in the scheme. He said: “It’s been a great start to the project and the children are really enjoying the extra space.

“People living on the street have been very supportive too. I think they like having fewer cars using the road for a couple of hours a day.

“It would be great if we had a few more volunteers though. We want to see this project continue but we need more people to help with the road closures and it really doesn’t take up a lot of your time.

The schools currently in need of volunteers are:

• Brunswick Primary

• Downs Junior

• Downs Infant

• Fairlight Primary

• Hove Junior Portland Road

• Moulsecoomb Primary

• Saltdean Primary

• St Luke's Primary

• St Margaret’s CE Primary

• St Nicolas CE VA Primary

• Stanford Infant

• West Hove Infant - Connaught Annexe

Some schools have already begun with the closures while others will start when they are ready and able to do so.

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Chair of the Environment, Transport and Sustainability committee, Amy Heley said “We’ve had a lot of very positive feedback from parents, carers and children about the project so far and we hope it can be extended to more later in the school year.

“It’s been so good to see children walking, cycling and scooting and have that extra space when they get to the get near the school gates. I hope more people will come forward to volunteer and support such a great project.

“Active travel is more important than ever at the moment and School Streets is helping people to do that. It’s also helping us to reach our ambitious goal of being a carbon neutral city by 2030.”

Volunteers are needed for approximately 30-60 minutes in the morning and afternoon, depending on the school, and help setting up and removing barriers. Please see the ‘Participating Schools’ section on the School Streets webpage for more information.

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DBS checks may be required and volunteers are supplied with full training and PPE.

If you would be interested in supporting the schools taking part in the project and would like to know more, please email [email protected] giving the name of the school you’d be happy to support.

For more information about School Streets click herePicture:

Related topics:BrightonPeopleHoveSchoolsVolunteers