Children in Ash and Tongham will have their knowledge of safety put to the test at this year’s school safety champions. The winning team will be presented with a prestigious shield by the Deputy Mayor of Guildford, Cllr Marsha Moseley, on Thursday 9 July.

Five teams entered the competition from St. Paul’s Infant School, Tongham, Holly Lodge, Ash Grange, Shawfield and Ash Walsh Infant’s School. Each member of the quiz teams will receive a medal from the Deputy Mayor with the winning team taking away the schools quiz shield. All the children that take part will also receive a certificate.

David Wright, Lead Councillor for Community Safety said: We want to highlight the importance the Council attaches to safety education in schools and there is no substitute for getting the message across early, and in an easily digestible form.”

The annual event is organised by the Safer Guildford Partnership’s Neighbourhood Teams who work with local agencies to give a series of personal safety talks to Year 2 primary school children.

Lesley Telford-Gillies, Community Safety Warden for Ash Parish said: “Each year the children make such an effort to learn as much as possible in a really fun and interesting way and it is our way of helping young people to have fun but stay safe.”

This year Guildford Borough Community Safety Wardens, Surrey Fire and Rescue Service, Surrey Police, St John’s Ambulance Service, and British Transport Police have delivered the ‘stay safe’ message to more than 150 young children and staff -covering safety aspects and handy safety tips relating to: fire, roads, personal safety and first aid, water, stranger danger, and rail tracks, before culminating in an inter-school safety quiz to test the pupil’s skills on listening and retaining knowledge.

Each school nominated six children to represent the school and the rest of the school children participate in the audience or act as cheer leaders.