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‘Lollipop’ Roles Filled by Two Local Youngsters

Published March 15, 2018 By

SCHOOL children in Middlesbrough are being helped across the road by two newly appointed ‘lollipop’ patrollers – who are perhaps unusually not long out of school themselves.

Middlesbrough Council has recently appointed 20-year-old Courtney Pink and 19-year-old Dylan Hayes to work at two crossings in the town in posts it had struggled to fill despite repeat advertising.

And the job is extra special to Dylan who himself suffered a fractured leg when hit by a car aged just 11 and on his way home from school in Billingham.

Dylan, who now lives in Acklam and works a crossing on Green Lane near Cleveland College of Art and Design, said: “It’s good to think I’m helping kids be safe on the road. When I had my accident I was laid up for three weeks and then on crutches and the car was a write-off.”

He added that many of the pupils and parents heading to and from Green Lane Academy Primary were not used to seeing a School Crossing Patroller of his age.

“There has been a few surprised faces with me being so young and doing the job,” said Dylan. “It has been about six weeks I’ve been doing it and it’s been really good, I’ve enjoyed it and the community is really friendly. Everyone says ‘hi’ on a morning and there’s been no issues with drivers. It’s been good.”

Courtney, from Park End, also works as a barmaid and at Park End Primary School alongside her School Crossing Patrol work on Ingram Road in Berwick Hills.

She said: “I like being outside so it’s good for me and all the parents were buzzing when I first started a couple of weeks ago. Everyone has been really nice.”

Cllr Lewis Young, Middlesbrough Council’s Executive Member for Economic Development and Infrastructure, said: “It is unusual to have School Crossing Patrollers who are so young but we’re delighted to have both Courtney and Dylan helping our children get to and from school safely.

“These two posts had been advertised extensively and despite that we had been unable to fill either for quite some time.

“I’m sure parents at both Green Lane Academy Primary and Berwick Hills Primary will be as pleased as we are to see Courtney and Dylan making their journeys safer each morning and afternoon.”

Pictured from L-R are Courtney Pink, Cllr Lewis Young and Dylan Hayes.

Read 1776 times Last modified on Thursday, 15 March 2018 14:23
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