Schoolkids get safety message

Hundreds of schoolchildren are getting the message about travelling to school safely by going to see a colourful art exhibition in Barrow-in-Furness. The exhibition is of giant, bold banners which other children in the area have created with the help of local artist Maddi Nicholson. Aim of the project was to get across Cumbria County Council's Better Ways to School message. The exhibition opened on Monday, March 31, in the art gene gallery (correct: lower case initials) at the Nan Tait Centre, Abbey Road, Barrow. It is the culmination of months of work by Dalton-in-Furness schoolchildren through a unique arts project as part of the Better Ways to School initiative managed by Capita, the County Council's highways consultants. Children from George Romney, Dalton St Mary's, Chapel Street Infants and Dowdales worked with Maddi Nicholson to produce the giant colourful banners, the largest of which is 8 metres by 1.8 metres, using their own designs. The children painted their travel-to-school ideas and images on to the banners during workshops held at the schools. 

Dalton councillor Bill Smith, a member of Cumbria County Council's Barrow Local Committee, which has provided Better Ways to School funding in the area, said:   

"Schoolchildren in Dalton have worked very hard for exhibition and they can be proud of what they have achieved. This is a really different and fun way of getting the road safety message across to children of all ages. They used their own thoughts and ideas about their journey to school to produce the banners, which are very impressive. 

About a thousand children from all over the Barrow district will be visiting the exhibition to have a look at the work and, hopefully, take in all the important road safety messages given in the banners. Barrow Local Committee has funded many Better Ways to School projects in the area and as a result, has improved the journey to school for children and adults."   

Teachers and children from a number of schools have already enjoyed the exhibition, which will remain open on Saturday, April 5, from 11am-4pm and next week 2pm-5pm. Other interested schools can contact road safety officer Ken Hanson on (01229) 894591 to arrange a visit. 

Schools in the Barrow area taking pupils to see the exhibition are: 

Abbotsmead Junior 
Alfred Barrow 
Barrow Island 
Park View 
Holy Family 
St Bernard's 
Newbarns 
Thorncliffe 
Newton 
St James 
Ormsgill 
St George's 
Sacred Heart 
St Paul's 
Victoria Infants 
Yarlside 

The exhibition, which runs until April 11, will also include various displays and exhibits with a road safety theme. It is hoped that it will also go display in Dalton-in-Furness after it has finished in Barrow. The banners will eventually be used as a teaching tool by staff to get the road safety message across to as many children in the district as possible.