Horsham pupil picks up award for road safety design

Orla Phelan, from Trafalgar Community Infant School, created the winning entry as her design was picked from around 11,000 others submitted by pupils from schools across the area.

The five-year-old was awarded with a trophy last Monday and her new banner was unveiled in front of her friends and parents in a special school assembly.

Orla said she was really happy with the award and that her banner was going to be placed in front of the school gates for everyone to see.

Her father, Pat, added: “She loves this kind of stuff. She practised before hand so she would get it right. We are incredibly proud of her.”

The competition was organised by Recognition Express Southern, which provides promotional products and school uniforms, in partnership with road safety charity Brake.

Wayne Cherry, key account manager for Recognition Express, said: “It is great to come down to these kinds of events. It is an excellent design that she has created.”

As well as the trophy and the banner each pupil at the school was also given a luminous bag to keep them safe when crossing the road.

Kat Green, head teacher at the school, said: “The school is very proud of Orla as we know that her design will make our school community stop and think when they are using the roads near our school.

“Lots of our children came up with some super road safety designs for this competition and it certainly raised the profile of road safety in our school.”