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Friday 10 Jul 2015

Luke’s safety message is a work of art

Region & Route:

| Eastern

A safety conscious pupil from Leeds who wrote a manifesto to keep people out of danger on railway platforms has seen his hard work rewarded with a mosaic at his local station.

Luke Lazenby was inspired to raise awareness of the dangers of fast moving trains on platforms by writing a manifesto for the Leeds’ Children’s Mayor competition.

Although he didn’t win, 11 year-old Luke, from Bramley St Peter’s Church of England Primary School, was so determined to make his idea a success that he and his classmates designed a series of safety posters for Network Rail and Northern Rail some of which were displayed around Leeds station over Christmas, the others are currently on display at Bramley Train Station.

After a visit by Network Rail Community Safety Manager Vicki Beadle, who taught the youngsters about the dangers of trespassing onto the railway, and with the help of Leeds artist Beverley Rhodes and local firms Ceramic International and Beaver Leeds, the pupils designed a mosaic of Leeds most iconic images, including the railway viaduct, the town hall and the Leeds Trinity logo.

The artwork has now gone on display at the station near the ticket barriers.

Luke, whose initial idea was to warn mothers about their pushchairs rolling off the platform and into the path of a train, said: “I didn’t think that children like me could make a big difference in the world.  I hope that by working with Vicki and Network Rail I have changed how people act around trains and helped keep other children safe.”

Lesley Dixon-Dawson, Teacher, School Council co-ordinator, Bramley St Peter’s C of E Primary School said: “This just goes to show that from little acorns, big things grow. We try to encourage the children to take an active role in the community and wider world around them and Network Rail and Northern Rail’s support this year has enabled our children to become very active citizens, for which we cannot thank them enough.”

Vicki Beadle from Network Rail said: “Luke’s determination to raise awareness of important safety issues at platforms is wonderful and the passion he has shown for this project has shown was a conscientious young man he is. Railway safety on platforms is an important subject for people of all ages and I am delighted that the mosaic will be seen by the thousands of passengers who use Leeds station every day.”

Notes to editors

Trespassing on the railway is not only putting your life in danger, but is also a criminal offence which carries a punishment of a fine up to £1,000.

If you see someone trespassing on the railway, contact the British Transport Police on 0844 40 50 40, or dial 999.

For more information about the dangers of trespassing on the railway, visit http://www.networkrail.co.uk/aspx/1037.aspx