Pupils from County Durham, who have been spreading road safety messages among their classmates, have been praised by the local road safety team.
Junior Road Safety Officers (JRSO) from 13 primary schools across the area attended the annual end of term celebration event – organised by Durham County Council.
The children, who demonstrated their hard work over the past school year by creating displays for the event, took part in poetry workshops – hearing from performance poet Bernard Young.
JRSOs leaving primary school this year were presented with a certificate and a commemorative pen in recognition of their efforts.
Run by the council, the JRSO scheme encourages older primary school children to become road safety champions, educating their fellow pupils about the importance of staying safe when near roads.
Volunteers maintain an information and notice board in their school, run competitions for their classmates, speak at school assemblies and organise road safety themed campaigns.
They also work closely with the council’s road safety team on projects such as the Slow to 20 for Safer Streets initiative, which has so far seen 20mph zones introduced around 50 of the county’s schools.
The end of term celebration, which is now in its fourth year, included speeches by the council chairman Cllr John Lethbridge and Ron Hogg, police, crimes and victims commissioner for County Durham and Darlington.
Cllr Brian Stephens, Durham Council’s cabinet member for neighbourhoods and local partnerships, said: “It is incredibly important that our children understand how to stay safe when crossing the road, riding their bike or travelling in a car.
“Our JRSOs play a vital role in passing on this message and I am incredibly impressed by their dedication and commitment to the role.
“This event is our way of thanking them and their schools for their efforts and also showcasing their hard work.”
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