SAFETY BEAR BIRTHDAY

REDROW’S health and safety bear, Buster, has celebrated his first birthday and with it a year of highlighting to children the importance of safety on construction sites.

Buster visits schools close to Redrow’s new home developments all over the UK, which include ventures in Leigh, Widnes, Liverpool, Hollins Green and Culcheth, to raise awareness among children of the dangers of playing on building sites. Health and safety is a top priority for Redrow and the award winning home builder is committed to educating children about these
risks.

Bob Sayers, group health and safety director for Redrow, says:- “Buster is a vital and hardworking member of our heath and safety team. For the past year he has been spreading the important safety message in schools with the support of the ‘Buster Rules OK!’ activity packs.”

As well as having fun with jokes, puzzles and activities, the pack helps children learn an important message from their ‘building buddy’, Buster, about the potential dangers on developments under construction.

Bob adds:- “The children from ‘Busy Bees’ day nursery in St David’s Park, Flintshire, joined us for Buster’s party and we celebrated his birthday with a big cake. Buster is now looking forward to another year of meeting children throughout England, Scotland and Wales and reinforcing his safety message, in a fun and informative way."

Buster is just one example of Redrow’s support and involvement with young people. The home builder has extended its commitment to education even further by launching the Redrow Learning Web, an on-line resource which includes a teachers’ area to help plan lessons and guide their pupils, meets with National Curriculum requirements and has been accredited by the
National Grid for Learning.

The Learning Web is split into two modules – ‘The House Detectives’, aimed at primary school children aged eight to 11, and ‘Plan It … Build It’, which is targeted at secondary school pupils aged 12 – 16 as part of their citizenship studies.

‘The House Detectives’ enables children to compare and contrast their own community with others around the UK, while ‘Plan It… Build It’ challenges pupils to research, plan and ‘build’ a new development taking into account a full range of issues such as housing supply, planning policy, environmental concerns and sustainability.

The Redrow Learning Web, including Buster the bear activity packs, can be accessed at:- www.education.redrow.co.uk.

OFFENDERS LECTURE JUDGES

YOUNG offenders are telling top legal professionals how they think they should be punished for their crimes. A ground-breaking project called It's Not OK has helped young offenders discuss the issue of violence by recording radio adverts which will be broadcast next year. Now one young woman from the project, Sarah, will talk to senior legal workers at Liverpool's High Sheriff's conference about how this alternative has changed her life.

Sarah's self-confidence has risen massively now she has recorded her story in advert format. She is also due to start a work placement with a major media organisation as a direct result of taking part in It's Not OK. She said:- "I hope that telling my story helps other people. A few months ago if I was going out, I would be binge drinking, but now I control how much I drink and the space of time I do it in. I feel like I've achieved something by taking part in this project, that no one else I know has done. I would like to do a radio course to carry on with it."

The It's Not OK project is funded by the Liverpool Culture Company, overseen by Creative Education Manager Gaynor Wright and delivered by The Ariel Trust. Speakers at the High Sheriff's conference also include Minister for Prisons and Probation at the Home Office, Paul Goggins MP, and Anne Owers, Chief Inspector of Prisons.

Liverpool City Council Executive Member for Culture, Councillor Warren Bradley, said:- "To have a young offender speaking to a room full of people, who can actually make a difference to how the system works, is an extremely logical way of getting meaningful discussions going. It will be interesting to hear how opinions are changed after this conference."

Creative Education Manager Gaynor Wright from the Liverpool Culture Company is overseeing the project. She said:- "Sarah, Paul Ainsworth from the Ariel Trust and I are all speaking to this influential group of magistrates and judges, as well as legal workers from prison and probation services. I hope that it will really open up the debate about alternatives to things like prison."

Loading Times Revised

NEW restrictions on loading and unloading are to be introduced in key city centre streets to help traffic flow more smoothly at peak hours during Liverpool's Big Dig.   They will prohibit loading and unloading between 8.00am and 10.00am and 16.00pm and 18.00pm from Monday to Sunday on:-

Dale Street (full length)
Castle Street (full length of eastern side and small section of west side near to junction with High Street))
James Street (full length)
London Road (full length)
Pembroke Place (full length)

The new restrictions will start from Saturday 15 October and will be in force for 18 months. On the spot penalties will be imposed for breaches of the restrictions.  The current loading restrictions on these routes operate between 8:30 to 09:30am and 16:30 to 18:00pm from Monday to Sunday.

These routes have been targeted due to their high volume of both vehicles and pedestrians each day and follow extensive consultation with residents and businesses. The Chamber of Commerce has expressed support for the new order.

"While the Big Dig is taking place there is inevitable disruption to traffic as the major projects which are being built involve lane closures and other highways disturbance," said Cllr Peter Millea, Executive Member for Regeneration. "We are looking at ways to reduce some of the problem both for motorists and pedestrians and one way we can do this to stop people from blocking our major roads during the rush hours. After we have consulted widely with businesses and residents we believe that these new restrictions are the best way to help the traffic flow. It could be argued that we should have introduced these measures months ago but we are trying to get a balance between the needs of shops and other business, motorists, public transport and pedestrians and we want to keep the restrictions to a minimum. We have looked at the pattern of traffic during roadworks, seen where the real problems are and only introduced extra restrictions where they are most needed. I would hope shops and other businesses would cooperate by arranging deliveries outside the peak periods wherever possible or use side roads for loading. But those who insist on ignoring the restrictions should be warned that we intend to enforce them rigorously. However, I think most people will realise that the regeneration works which are going on will transform the city and any inconvenience is outweighed by the enormous benefits they will bring and co-operate with the Order."