North West Primary Schools to put focus on children's rights to walk safely

PRIMARY Schools in the North West have just 6 weeks to get involved with a new road safety project that focuses on giving children the right to walk safely in their communities.

Brake's Kids Walk, in partnership with Co-op Insurance, will see thousands of children, aged 4 to 11, put their best feet forward to promote road safety and the health and planet saving benefits of walking.

The short, supervised walks will take place, on Wednesday, 13 June 2018, at or around Schools, with children walking in a crocodile formation and holding hands to promote the importance of kids being able to walk without fear or threat from traffic.

So far more than 6,000 children from more than 30 Schools in the North West have registered to take part, with thousands more expected to get involved over the next month. This includes:- Schools from Bolton, Kendall, Liverpool, Manchester, Preston, Stockport, Windess and Wigan.

The project, coordinated by road safety charity Brake, is calling on five measures to help keep children safe:- footpaths, cycle paths, safe places to cross, slow traffic and clean traffic.

Every School that registers online will receive a free action pack full of:- posters, banners, lesson plans, assembly presentations and activities to run with their children. Bilingual resources will be available for Schools in Wales. And hundreds of Schools will use the event as a fundraiser for Brake; the charity that supports families who have lost loved ones in road crashes.

The charity has also teamed up with the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) and National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) to help local Police and Fire Officers support Schools with their walks, especially those that have problems with traffic and parking.

For more information and to register visit:- Brake.Org.UK/KidsWalk.

Dave Nichols, community engagement manager for Brake, the road safety charity, said:- "Brake is passionate about the safety and welfare of children. We believe it's every child's right to be able to walk in their communities without fear of traffic and pollution. But to do this, we need to make sure their journeys are safe. This is why we're already working with thousands of children to give them and their School a voice, and I would encourage any School to join this project and help get these important messages out to grown ups."

Nick Ansley, Head of Motor Insurance at the Co-op said:- "Our aim is to help to keep communities safe and this is another way in which we're hoping to do just that.  Each School across the UK faces different issues whether it be available footpaths, safe places to cross, or cycle paths. In partnership with Brake, we're hoping to raise awareness amongst all road users to ensure School children and their parents have a safe walk to School."

Residents in North West Still Consider Childhood Home to be Their 'Real' Home

HOME is where the heart is, but for many of us, it's the house we grew up in; not where we live now, according to a study. Researchers polled 2,000 UK adults and found 7 in 10 people from the Region consider their childhood residence to be their 'true' home.

Nostalgia is the overriding reason for this; 66% revealed their affection for their childhood dwellings is entwined with fond memories of their formative years. 40% said the place they grew up in was special because they were able to spend the most time together with their family and 63% said they felt safer there.

Commissioned by leading door and window brand, Origin, the national research found 38% think their current home lacks the 'magic' of their childhood home. Amid this, 10% of people living in the UK have even taken steps to make their current dwellings more like the home they grew up in; including replicating the décor and furnishings.

Ben Brocklesby, Director at Origin, said:- "Our work is centred around creating beautiful homes for our customers and their families, but we were curious to find out more about the stories our homes tell and what special ingredients are needed to really make a house a home. Interestingly, our research has shown that it's the small details that stay with us and it is these little quirks that really make a house a 'true' home, even after we have moved on and into a new property."

The research also found the garden is the most fondly remembered aspect of our childhood homes. Other enduring memories include the view from the windows, mum's cooking and laughing together as a family.

It also emerged those polled believe homes 'tell a story' about the lives of the people living there; whether it be height markings on doorframes, family photographs or holiday souvenirs.

30% of Brits said they would go as far as to buy the home they grew-up in if they could and 55% of those in the North West said they felt happier living there than at any other time of their lives.

In fact, the impact of our childhood home is so significant, that those polled think about events from way-back around 3 times a month on average. The most common memory triggers are songs, the smell of a roast dinner and the comforting aroma of baking. Some even associate the sound of a gravel drive, the ring of a doorbell and the feel of a carpet with the place they grew up in. It also emerged that 25% wish they could take aspects of their childhood dwellings and make them part of their current home; including childhood pets and window views.

Keen to recapture the 'magic' of their childhood residence, 30% of Brits have continued traditions from their early youth into their adult years. These include cooking the same meals, having Sunday lunch round the kitchen table and Christmas traditions.

Roy Shuttleworth, Clinical Psychologist, said:- "It's no wonder that the majority of Brits look back on their childhood home with fondness and nostalgia, as evidence shows that our memories are programmed to remember the small, intricate details when we feel a sense of happiness. These stay with us into adulthood, which is why our memories are triggered by things like the smell of an old pine table or the print on a China cup. As the research suggests, we're likely to try and recreate this sense of positive nostalgia in our own homes, often unconsciously. It's for this reason that our homes tell a story, not just about our lives now, but also the properties we loved while growing up."

Ben Brocklesby concludes:- "We've all heard the phrase 'if these walls could talk', and what the research tells us is that our homes actually do tell a story if you look closely enough."

Please visit:- Origin-Global.Com for more information about Origin.