Community-minded Keith Park Village residents who run a voluntary school crossing patrol outside their village have been given a boost by a group of road safety conscious school children.
The group of Year 6 children from Hobsonville Point Primary School (HPPS) presented the residents with brand new high-vis vests complete with a special Hobby Heroes logo on the back. The children even brought a batch of home-baked cookies for morning tea!
Spokesperson for the project group, 11-year-old Emily, explained that the idea came about as part of their social responsibility project, which required them to find something they could improve within their community.
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Knowing that the residents already had a crossing patrol set up to help neighbouring Scott Point Primary School students get across Clark Road safely, they decided the road safety message was important for everyone to learn about.
“The residents have inspired more road safety around our school,” she said.
HPPS teacher, Jody Curran, said the six children had visited the residents earlier in the year to ask them questions and decided that some matching high visibility vests would help them stand out even more. They even designed the logo for the vests themselves.
Their initiative had also led to more crossings being set up near to their school, which is at the far end of Clark Road.
“Thank you for inspiring them to do what you do, but at our end of the road,” Jody said.
Community Transport Coordinator Laressa Tanner from Auckland Transport was also there to give an update on the crossing point next to Keith Park Village, saying a proper crossing with arms that swing out over the road plus footpath upgrade were in the pipeline for next year.
“It’s currently in the design phase and then it will go to consultation early next year,” Laressa said.
Keith Park resident Don Bennington said the residents welcomed the new safety measures that would soon be put in place.
“We are all ecstatic that AT is going to provide a proper crossing. That will hopefully slow the speeding traffic down to ensure a safer crossing for all the pedestrians including our villagers as they venture out on their walks,” Don said.
It was Don who set up the group at the end of 2023, shortly after a new footpath opened that runs between Keith Park Village and the new Clark Road recreational park currently under construction.
With the change in route came a new hazard, as Don noticed schoolchildren were finding it hard to distinguish the road from the pedestrian surface, and risked walking, cycling, or scootering across it. This prompted him to rally fellow residents to help man a safe crossing.
The touching gesture by HPPS schoolchildren had made a big impression on the residents, Don said.
“We are all very impressed that they have taken road safety so seriously and have included our village in their project, and we are very pleased with the new vests and the logos that Hobsonville Point Primary School children have designed for us,” he said.
The crossing patrol group says they will welcome more volunteers to join them.
Keith Park Village Manager Kim Dawson was full of praise for the schoolchildren and ‘wonderful’ Hobby Heroes concept.
“This initiative by the children displays a sense of responsibility beyond their years, having identified an issue that affects the community and leading by example to improve road safety for the benefit of our local area,” she said, adding that the residents’ commitment and community spirit were indeed heroic.
“Anyone who selflessly gives of their time to volunteer is nothing short of a hero, and the vest wearers should be proud to be identified as such.
“They are there, rain, hail, or shine, out of consideration for the safety of others. I’m super proud that they represent our village in such a valued way to our local community.”
Top pic from left: Raymond Moore, Peter Peacock, Ralph Martin, Maddi, Beau, Ollie, Veronika, Emily, Dane, Andrew Philson, Don Bennington and Glenys Moore.