Local primary schools have produced some stunning posters in a drawing competition organised by Birmingham Friends of the Earth as part of Bike/Walk to school week.
The competition was on the theme of road safety and the 20’s Plenty Campaign to reduce speed limits on residential roads and over 200 schools were invited to take part.
The environmental campaigns group received hundreds of entries and with the help of local artist and RBSA member, Brian Steventon they narrowed them down to just one prize winner, two school winners and seventeen runners up; a total of twenty altogether.
All the works are now on display in the children’s section of Birmingham Central Library until the 6th of June. The overall winner was Alice Duggan, aged 8, from Little Sutton Primary school with Phoebe Way from Cottesbrooke Junior School and Alisha Shahzad of Birchfield Junior School the other 2 school winners.
Brian Steventon, artist and judge. “There were some really great entries. Some showed real originality and others great talent for their age.”
Matt Keys, who’s running the 20s Plenty campaign, added: “The competition was a fun way to get children imagining what safer streets might be like and it shows they like the idea of being able to walk or cycle to school safely. The schools who participated clearly put a lot of effort in too.”
Birmingham Friends of the Earth are seeking a 20mph speed limit on all residential, non-arterial routes across the city. It has proved successful in Portsmouth where it has led to up to 7mph reductions in speed, and in a single year Portsmouth has seen a fifteen percent reduction in serious accidents.
Other cities across the country are also now introducing the scheme and the coalition of groups that support this campaign feel Birmingham should not be left behind, but we should make the roads better for children like the ones who provided these inspirational artworks.
1)More detail on the campaign can be found at:
https://birminghamfoe.org.uk/transport-news/roads-for-all
http://www.20splentyforus.org.uk/
2)Birmingham Friends of the Earth campaigns on many environmental issues, including the promotion of sustainable transport.
For more information contact:
Joe Peacock (Birmingham Friends of the Earth)
0121 632 6909
