Come join our walking bus and get to school safely

On Thursday 26th June at the Community Office, Joss Lane Car Park in Sedbergh at 3.40pm children from the local primary school will form a walking bus to make journeys to school safer and healthier. A line of children with a 'driver' parent at the front and a 'conductor' parent at the rear will walk to and from school. Children will be collected and dropped off on a set route at bus stops on the way. All the children will wear reflective vests and the route will be the safest one to get to school. 

Cumbria Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership have been working with Sedbergh Primary School and Sedbergh Residents Association to form the walking bus with the help of a grant given by the Countryside Agency. 

County Councillor Joan Stocker, Cabinet Spokesperson for Education says 

"This is a wonderful idea. Travelling to school this way will give the children both practical lessons in road safety and healthy exercise at the same time. Britain has one of the worst records for child pedestrian casualties in Europe. Cumbria has an average of 136 child pedestrians injured in collisions every year and the county council wants to see that figure reduced. For children, walking to school increases confidence, stamina and energy. Social relationships between parents and children may also be improved by having time to talk while walking. It is also expected that traffic on routes to school at the beginning and end of the school day will be reduced and that parking problems outside school will be alleviated."