PJH has helped pupils at St Mary’s Church of England Primary School in Moston, Greater Manchester,learn how to stay safe on the road and around large commercial vehicles as part of a dedicated Road Safety Campaign.
The educational visit involved around120 children from Nursery to Year 2, aged between three and seven.
Delivered by members of PJH’s Transport and Learning & Development (L&D) Teams, the sessions were designed to give the children a better understanding of large articulated lorries, vehicle awareness and the potential dangers of crossing or walking near roads.
The main topics included vehicle awareness, the time and distance an HGV may need to stop, and the extensive blind spots around a vehicle where pedestrians and cyclists may not be visible to the driver. The children were also introduced to wider road safety messages, including how to choose a safe place to cross and the importance of remaining visible and alert when travelling near large vehicles.
PJH supplied all the pupils with some specially designed learning materials and fun activity packs, developed by PJH’s L&D Team, Dawn Kennedy and Lauren Fergus, drawing on road safety guidance produced by Transport for London. Jemma Warburton, Transport Compliance Manager at PJH, also helped deliver the sessions on the day. The goodie bag packs included a Road Safety Certificate, a mock ‘PJH Pete Training School’ provisional license, a hi-vis vest for travelling to school, pencils and a drinks flask.
Shaun Berry, national transport manager at PJH, said: “It was an absolute delight to get involved with our local community in Manchester, and the pupils were really enthusaistic in learning more about road safety and discovering interesting facts about large articulated lorries – especially when sitting in the trucks themselves!
“The aim of the visit was to explain potential road dangers in a practical, engaging and memorable way, while giving the children some clear messages that they can use whenever they are walking or cycling near traffic. The pupils were brilliant throughout the sessions, and we were thrilled to support St Mary’s and help build road safety awareness from such an early age. I would also like to thank Dawn, Lauren and Jemma for the work they put into developing the materials and delivering such a successful visit.”
The initiative received an enthusiastic response from pupils and staff at St Mary’s, with children returning to their classrooms eager to share what they had learned.
Deputy headteacher, Roy Edwards said: “I would like to thank PJH for the wonderful support that you have shown the school, including the connection that you were having with our children and the incredible experience that you gave them. I heard some amazing stories from the children upon their return. The gesture, time, resource and experience (not to mention the financial cost) that you have given, has a bigger impact than you can ever imagine and will undoubtedly be a memory that sticks in the mind of many of them as they progress through their education.
“Your communication and care will have inspired a few to follow in your footsteps and seek more information about something they possibly didn’t even know they would enjoy. The visit reflects PJH’s commitment to supporting communities around its operations and to sharing the knowledge and expertise of its colleagues in ways that can make a positive and lasting difference.”