Junior Safety Officers of the Year are announced

Cheshire West and Chester Council’s Road Safety team and Cheshire Constabulary have announced the winners of this year’s Junior Safety Officers (JSO) awards.

Every year, pupils from participating schools are nominated to promote road, community and personal safety within their school. Their role includes reading out special safety messages during assemblies and organising competitions.

The JSOs record how they raised awareness of road, personal and community safety in their school and across the community for the school year by logging it in their JSO handbook.

This year the winners of Junior Safety Officers of the Year are Oliver, Lauren and Seth from Over St. John’s CE Primary School in Winsford.

The Council’s Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Environment, Transport and Highways, Councillor Karen Shore said:

“The Council’s Road Safety team and Cheshire Constabulary work in partnership to promote the Junior Safety Officers scheme.

“The JSOs spread safety messages in schools, to family and friends and to their local communities to raise awareness on keeping yourself and others safe. All primary schools across Cheshire West and Chester are invited to nominate children in year six to take part each year. I’d like to congratulate the winners and finalists on their success, but also thank all of this year’s JSOs for all their hard work.”

Oliver, Lauren and Seth went above and beyond in their efforts to make their school environment a safer place to be. From reading out road safety stories to the younger year groups, promoting ‘Walk to School Week’ and arranging a traffic survey outside their school, to find out if cars were being parked where they shouldn’t be.

They looked for parking across neighbours’ driveways, on the footpaths, on the yellow zig zags and using double yellow lines without a Blue Badge. During this, they spotted some adults with children not using the zebra crossing, so asked the school community to remember to walk the slight extra distance and use the safer crossing place.

They also encouraged more active modes of transport like walking or cycling to school, including Walk to School Week in May, Clean Air Day in June and ‘bling your bike sessions’ with younger children in the school.

Lauren said:

“I have loved being a JSO this year and helping the younger children to learn more about road safety. We all loved reading Teddy Takes a Walk to them.”

Emma McLaughlin, Assistant Head Teacher said:

“As a school, we are incredibly proud of how hard the children worked this year in their role of JSO and everything they accomplished.”

The Council’s Road Safety team presented the pupils with a trophy on behalf of the Council and Cheshire Constabulary. They each also received a certificate and cycle accessory vouchers.

Finalists Holly and Paige from St. Saviour’s Catholic Primary and Nursery School, in Ellesmere Port and Alaiya and Joseph from Farndon Primary School each received certificates and vouchers too.

Their outstanding efforts included organising extra road safety activities at their school, using a street scene to help the younger children learn about crossing the road and promoting Beep Beep! Day, which is a road safety day for two to seven-year-olds teaching important road safety basics.

Pictured - Winners Oliver, Seth and Lauren and from Over St. John’s CE Primary School in Winsford.