Local councillors join pupils for Road Safety Week 

Councillors Fred Eddie Roberts and Paul Pemberton met pupils in Rhosllanerchrugog this morning (24 November 2023) to mark Road Safety Week.  

Mr Roberts and Mr Pemberton joined staff and pupils from Ysgol y Grango and Living Streets Cymru, part of the UK charity for everyday walking, to learn about the benefits of walking to school and the importance of road safety. 

Thanks to support from Welsh Government, Living Streets Cymru will work with 170 primary schools and 42 secondary schools in its walk to school programmes in Wales by September 2025. 

Ysgol y Grango is starting Next Steps, which is designed by Living Streets to help Key Stage 3 students experience the benefits of active travel to secondary school. Each student receives a challenge card to complete on their journeys to and from school. 

Only 33 per cent of secondary school children in Wales walk to school1 and Living Streets is working to help more pupils choose cleaner and healthier ways to travel. Next Steps encourages students and their families to think about their new journey and suggests trying the route to school to ensure new students are prepared and safe. 

According to Brake, the charity behind Road Safety Week, five people die on UK roads every day. Living Streets campaigns to make streets and pavements safer and more accessible for everyone and is a member organisation of the 20mph Welsh Government Task Force Group. The group provided evidence to support the recent 20mph legislation, which is estimated to save 6-10 lives every year, result in 40% fewer collisions and prevent up to 2,000 people being injured.  

Councillor Fred Eddie Roberts (Johnstown) said: 

“I had a great time meeting pupils and teachers at Ysgol y Grango this morning. Road safety is incredibly important, especially if we want more people to enjoy the benefits of regular exercise. 

“Schemes like Next Steps make the walk to school an accessible option for pupils and their families and I hope it will encourage more people to follow in their footsteps.” 

Stephen Edwards, Chief Executive, Living Streets, said:  

“Walking or wheeling to school helps contribute to the 60 minutes of daily exercise recommended by health experts to keep children healthy and happy. Being active helps to prevent long-term chronic health conditions such as certain cancers, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease. And when more students travel by foot or bike, it means fewer cars outside the school gates – and this improves safety and air quality around the school.” 

Victoria Brown, Headteacher, Ysgol y Grango, said:  

"Ysgol y Grango is very excited to take part in the Next Steps Walking Challenge. I’m sure that pupils will enjoy logging their journeys and that it will encourage more children and their families to enjoy walking, wheeling, cycling or scooting to school.”