What price a child’s life?

A DETERMINED band of concerned parents have teamed up in a bid to bring in a lollipop lady on a busy main road after two young children were knocked down within a week of each other.

Stacey Stewart has organised a fund-raising campaign to gather enough cash for a crossing patrol along Greenacres Road — home to two primary schools — following the incidents earlier this month.

The matter was brought to a head when a local school pupil was lucky to escape with only minor injuries after being hit by a car while crossing the road. Then on Friday, two-year-old Brooke Loynes was struck by a car on the same road. She required treatment for cuts and bruises.

Although neither child was seriously injured, local parents decided to band together in a bid to increase safety. Mum-of-one Stacey (26), who lives locally, said: “Luckily, the two children were not seriously hurt but we need to act now to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

“We don’t want to be burying a child in six months and thinking we should have tried to do something sooner.

“The road is very busy and it can be dangerous for children crossing it but at the moment there is no lollipop lady on duty.”

The provision of school crossing patrols is not a statutory service and since April, 2013, all Oldham schools have been responsible for funding their own.

St Anne’s RC Primary School and Greenacres Primary School, located on or near to the road, used to share a crossing patrol at school opening and closing times.

In order to raise awareness of her fund-raising mission and encourage parents or concerned residents to get involved, Stacey has set up a Facebook group and already has over 100 members eager to help out with numbers still rising.

Stacey, who is mum to St Anne’s pupil Kadie-Jade Stewart, said: “It costs £5,600 to pay for a crossing patrol and we think we can raise enough money to set it up.

“We’ve already had loads of ideas about how we can raise the money over the summer holidays and we’re hoping to get local businesses involved.

“We’re looking at the possibility of holding a car boot sale or stalls selling cakes and bracelets as well as sponsored events, such as a football match.

“If all the parents from the two schools get involved I am sure we can raise enough money to get it sorted.”

Mary Garvey, head of school at St Anne’s Primary School, said: “Stacey Stewart had a meeting with Mrs Anne Ostmeier, our executive headteacher, who has agreed to support the idea in principle.”