Do you have a school of budding artists?

Primary schools across Kent have got the chance to prove their artistic flair in a brand new competition to spread vital road safety messages across the county and around the UK.

Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) is backing a new project by road safety charity Brake, which involves Primary schools, with the aim of keeping children safer. Brake’s road safety poster competition, sponsored by Coop Insurance, is a fun, new project that aims to inspire and engage children, aged 4-11, about the need for drivers to slow down so kids can walk and cycle to school safely.

The competition, backed by KFRS and supported by the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) and National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), will see winning designs from two age categories (4-7 and 7-11) turned into professional banners that will go on display outside schools or in the local community. Children can also win prizes worth hundreds of pounds for themselves and their school.

To help emergency service professionals inspire pupils, Brake has produced a series of free resources, including assembly and workshop presentations that they can deliver to either the whole school or a single class on a day of their choice. Children can then create a poster about the dangers of adults speeding something that puts kids' lives at risk every single day.

The theme of the competition coincides with the fourth UN Global Road Safety Week (8-11 May), which focusses on speed and what can be done to address this key risk factor for road traffic deaths and injuries. Speed contributes to around one third of road deaths in high income
countries, and up to half in low and middle income countries.

Schools also have the opportunity to fundraise for Brake by holding a Wear Your Stripes Day. Inspired by the charity’s mascot Zak the Zebra, children and staff can dress in striped clothing in exchange for money to the charity that supports bereaved and seriously injured road crash victims.

The competition can be run on a day of the school’s choice, but entries need to be submitted to Brake by Friday 30 June 2017.

For more information and to register your school visit the Brake website

Dave Nichols, community engagement manager for Brake, the road safety charity, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for schools, children and parents to work together to help raise awareness about the dangers of speeding in their local community. At Brake, we recognise there is a significant need to help children deepen their knowledge about road safety, and teachers want to deliver lessons that they know will help. We’re sure our new resources and competition will inspire the next generation to be both creative and passionate about getting adults to protect all of us when using roads. I would encourage any school that works with children aged 4-11 to enter, and we look forward to seeing their designs.”

James Hillon, Director of Products at Co-op Insurance said: “At Co-op Insurance we want to support local communities in educating people of all ages on the importance of road safety. If done right, this could lead the way in improving road safety and make UK roads safer for years to come. We're really happy to be supporting Brake on such a worthwhile cause to get the message out to Primary school children.”

KFRS’ Director of Operations and National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) Road Safety Lead, Sean Bone-Knell said:
“The National Fire Chiefs Council is pleased to be working with children and parents across the country to highlight the issues of speeding and the impact this can have on people’s lives. Children are our future; and if we can help them understand the basics of road safety at an early age, we are hopeful this will help them stay safe on and around our roads.”

Chief Constable Anthony Bangham, National Police Chiefs’ Council Lead for Roads Policing, said: “Speeding is a significant factor in an unacceptable number of road collisions. Education is absolutely critical to improving the way people drive and so we are pleased to support this initiative. Parents and young people themselves need to understand the risks associated with excessive speeding. The earlier this conversation begins, the safer our roads can be for future generations.”

View Brake’s road safety poster competition flyer

Contact Details

Brake
Telephone: 01484 559909
Email: postercomp@brake.org.uk