Member Article

Local school receives safety equipment from Winns

Newcastle-based Winn Group has donated bikes and safety equipment to a local school to enable them to take part in Road Safety Week.

Children at Byker Primary School are making the pledge in this year’s Road Safety Week (November 21st-27th), coordinated by the charity Brake, by walking or cycling to school instead of being driven. Winns has supplied the school with 500 reflector bands and 60 helmets to keep the children safe while taking part. The firm has also donated two new bikes to the school to enable those children who don’t have a bike to still take part.

Colette Adair, HR Manager at Winns, said: “We are delighted to be working with Byker Primary to promote the importance of Road Safety Week. It’s great to see the children so excited about such a good cause.

“With the dark nights closing in, we thought it would be a great idea to donate helmets and reflectors to ensure the safety of the children as they walk or cycle to and from school.

“We also thought it would be great to donate two bikes to the school to be used by those children who don’t have bikes of their own. Pupils can take turns to loan the bikes; this way everyone gets to take part in cycling to school at some point.”

The Road Safety Week 2016 theme, Make the Brake Pledge, is about people all over the country understanding six key things they can do to protect themselves and the people around them, and reduce emissions and pollution from vehicles. The six Brake Pledge points are: Slow, Sober, Secure, Silent, Sharp and Sustainable.

Linda Bradley, Head Teacher at Byker Primary School said: “We are all looking forward to taking part in Road Safety Week, and thanks to the support of Winns we will be able to ensure the safety of the children due to their generous donation.

“Not only this, but the week also helps to convey extremely important messages to pupils across all year groups about not only being road safety aware, but the importance of being active too.”

Dave Nichols, community engagement manager for Brake, said: “We’re delighted Winn Solicitors is partnering with Byker Primary School to get involved with Road Safety Week and strengthening Brake’s campaign for safer roads. We’ve designed this year’s theme to be action-orientated. Everyone – individuals, businesses, schools and community organisations – can make and share the Brake Pledge.

“Brake is working for safe, sustainable, healthy and fair transport. Brake supports a vision zero approach, which places the emphasis on systems to save lives and the planet, such as 20mph limits in towns and segregated routes for people on foot and bicycles. We know it is challenging to change road users’ behaviour and humans make mistakes and some knowingly take risks. However, the deaths and injuries are happening right now, this week, and everyone can do their bit today by spreading awareness of the vital importance of the Pledge rules: slow down; never drink or take drugs or use a mobile when driving; always wear a seat belt; get eyesight tested; and minimise driving.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Winn Solicitors Ltd .