Nuthurst school ‘delighted’ to win competition to name gritter

Each year Balfour Beatty, in partnership with West Sussex County Council, invites primary schools from across the county to try and re-name three of its fleet of bright yellow gritters.

This year Nuthurst’s St Andrew’s C of E Primary School was among the three winners with its entry of ‘Bitterly Gritterly’.

The newly-christened vehicle visited the school on Friday November 28 much to the delight of pupils, who were also given a safety talk on Sussex Safer Roads Partnership’s ‘Be Safe, Be Seen’ campaign.

The school was also presented with a grit bin, grit salt, a snow shovel, while Lara Wholihan, who helped come up with the name, received a £20 high street voucher.

Jayne Wilson, headteacher at St Andrew’s, said: “We are delighted and proud that one of our Year 2 pupils Lara came up with such a catchy title.”

This year’s other two winners were Thomas A Becket Middle School in Worthing and Littlehampton’s River Beach Primary School.

Pieter Montyn (Con, The Witterings), WSCC’s cabinet member for highways and transport, said: “Over the last three years the popularity of this competition has grown and grown – we see some wonderful names and ideas and we want even more

“Eventually we hope we’ll be at the stage where every single one of our gritters will have a name.

“Running this competition also gives us the opportunity to visit schools and help children learn how to keep safe during the cold weather.”

For more information visit www.sussexsaferroads.gov.uk/