Children have a safe route to school in Swaffham with charity-funded pathway
The new footpath outside the Campingland Community Centre in Swaffham. Pictured are youngsters from the Teenie Iceni Day Nursery. Picture: Ian Burt - Credit: Ian Burt
Nursery and schoolchildren can now make their journeys in safety after a community organisation funded a new footpath.
The new footpath outside the Campingland Community Centre in Swaffham. Pictured are Meg Huckstep and her daughter Fenna Huckstep (2).Picture: Ian Burt - Credit: Ian Burt
After watching children and parents negotiating a busy car park on their way to school in Swaffham, the Iceni Parntership stepped in to help.
The organisation applied to the town council to put down a permeable path around the car park, to join up with an existing pathway and ensure families have a safe route all the way to the school gates.
The new TROD path cost £2,600 to install and was funded by the partnership, whose offices overlook the car park in Campingland.
Jonathan Reed, of Iceni Partnership, said: 'There is already a path to stop children having to go down London Street and White Cross Road, which is a busy route, but we realised that by the community centre there were two car parks but no path at all.
'Parents taking their children to school through Campingland and Beech Close either had to walk on the muddy grass or, what is more likely, they were moving between parked cars. We knew within time someone would be knocked over.
'In winter parents who did not want to walk in the road had to use the muddy path – you could see the footprints.'
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Children from Teeny Iceni's Nursery and Swaffham Infant and Nursery School were among the first to use the new pathway, which is signposted as a 'safe route to school'.
Mr Reed said feedback about the new route has been overwhelmingly positive.
'Once parents realised what it was there for everyone started using it. They were aware it was a dangerous place before.'
What do you think of the new pathway? Email bethany.whymark@archant.co.uk
