Rotherham Councillors raising the “lollipop”

The safety-conscious councillors have signed up to help provide emergency cover for School Crossing Patrols.

Councillor's Roger Stone, John Foden, Ian Barron, Jahangir Akhtar and Mahroof Hussain, with more to follow, all underwent the necessary training required to perform emergency duties if any of the 67 School Crossing Patrols across Rotherham were unable to attend their stations.

The training, which took place adjacent to Thorpe Hesley Junior and Infants school, took place over a two-day period and included how to stop traffic safely, marshalling of pedestrians and basic site risk assessment.

Leader of Rotherham Council, Roger Stone, who underwent four training sessions on two separate days before taking on the role alone, said: "School Crossing Patrols are genuine unsung heroes. They are out there come wind, rain or shine, making sure that both children and adults alike can cross, in some cases, some considerably busy roads, safely.

"Unfortunately, there are occasions where the School Crossing Patrols can't get to work. In those instances, I felt that as Councillors we have the responsibility to help in any way we can and if that means standing there in snow or driving rain, then, that's what we'll do.

"Currently, we have 15 vacancies across the borough for School Crossing Patrols. It's a vitally important service suited for a community spirited individual or someone who cares about their local school and children's safety. If you're interested in applying please look at the Council website or ask in your local Jobcentre.

Ward Councillor for Boston Castle, Mahroof Hussain, added: "The School Crossing Patrol is a vital role, without them, there would be the potential for disasters on our roads each day.

"My experiences training for the role were incredibly eye-opening. The vast majority of drivers were courteous and conscientious. However, there was a handful who, for whatever reason, failed to respect the 'stop sign', or left it late to break. It worries me to think that it could have been a child they were breaking late for.

"School Crossing Patrols deserve our upmost respect. Having done just a couple of training sessions in the roll, I'm glad they are there. The guy who trained us was incredibly dedicated and you could tell the community appreciated him.

"I hope that we have people come forward to help fill the current vacant positions, but, until then, we're happy to fulfil our roles as community leaders and do our bit."

To view the job description and to apply for the role of School Crossing Patrols, please visit www.rotherham.gov.uk/jobs.