JRSO calendar competition draws 2000 entries

The Manchester Road Safety team has launched its 2004 road safety calendar, which features winning drawings by local school children, with road safety messages based on each of the four seasons.

Manchester’s Lord Mayor, councillor Audrey Jones, invited the winners to the Town Hall where they were presented with a certificate of merit and a gift voucher (see pic). The pupils were accompanied by teacher representatives and parents.

The 61 schools that enrolled in Manchester’s Junior Road Safety Officers’ scheme in 2003 were invited to take part in a poster competition, which attracted over 2000 entries.The posters form the basis of the calendar, which is being distributed to schools, businesses and council establishments across the city.

The Junior Road Safety Officers scheme has been operating successfully in schools for seven years. Schools select pupils to become officers who take responsibility for carrying out various road safety initiatives in their school. These responsibilities include looking after a road safety notice board, coordinating road safety activities in school and giving out road safety messages in assembly. The scheme encourages young people to spread the road safety message, and to take responsibility for themselves and respond to opportunities to help others.

Councillor Val Stevens, Manchester City Council’s executive member for planning and environment, said: "The Junior Road Safety Officers scheme has once again proved very successful, attracting entries from a large number of schools. It is a great way of passing on road safety messages to children using their own peer group. The number and quality of entries in this year’s calendar competition were outstanding."

A copy of the calendar can be obtained from the road safety team on 0161 234 4480.