South Gloucestershire’s road safety team is urging local people to come forward to help tackle a shortage of crossing patrol staff – better known as ‘lollipop’ people – across the district.
More than nine of the vital part-time posts are currently unfilled after staff retired or moved on to other jobs – and so far no new recruits have come forward, despite a comprehensive council recruitment campaign.
The shortage is particularly acute in Yate, where four posts – at Tyndale Primary, Cranleigh Court Road, North Road Primary, St Paul’s Roman Catholic Primary and Yate International Academy Woodlands Primary – remain unfilled.
Other crossing posts are vacant in Winterbourne, Almondsbury, Barrs Court and Thornbury.
Some of the posts have remained vacant for six months.
Now the council’s road safety team is asking parents and other residents to ‘spread the word’ and encourage anybody who might be interested in the posts to consider signing up.
Senior road safety officer Alan Hale said:
“School crossing patrols are a much-valued part of their local communities performing a really important job.”
“Staff often find it a hugely rewarding and sociable role and many stay in their post for years and years.”
“Unfortunately we have had a number of retirements and leavers recently and it’s left us with a list of vacancies that we urgently need to fill.”
“I would urge anybody who might be interested in one of these posts to get in touch with us as soon as possible.”
School crossing patrols have been a feature of community life for more than 50 years and since 2001 have also been able to cross not just school children but anybody who needs help crossing the road.
The paid posts are part-time and typically require 30 minutes of work, morning and afternoon. Applications are welcome from people of all ages – until recently South Gloucestershire’s team of crossing patrol staff included both a 17-year-old and a person in their 70s.
Appointment is subject to references, CRB checks and medical.
For further information, contact the South Gloucestershire Council road safety team on 01454 863 611.
Source: South Gloucestershire Council
