Minister Mallon announces £87,000 for local road safety initiatives

Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon has allocated £87,000 for local road safety initiatives funded by the Department’s Road Safety Grant Scheme.

Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon is pictured with pupils Sean McNally, Matthew Gallagher and Harrison Granville from Sacred Heart Primary School and Lucy Coulter and Hannah Kilpatrick from Belfast Royal Academy.

Minister Mallon said:

“A key priority for me as Minister for Infrastructure is delivering on initiatives that help to improve wellbeing for everyone and encourage safe road user behaviour.  In September I launched the Road Safety Grant Scheme which aims to help to engage and empower individuals, communities and organisations to promote and practise good road safety behaviours and encourage participation in safe active travel.

“I am delighted today to announce that 14 groups and organisations have been successful in securing funding totalling £87,000. The grants will support a range of innovative initiatives which address local roads safety issues and enable active travel in a safe way.

“Road safety is everyone’s responsibility and community involvement plays a vital role in helping raise awareness of how to stay safe on our roads.

“Already this year 54 people have been killed on our roads.  The only way to reduce fatalities on our roads is for everyone on the road to make better choices and safer decisions, on every journey.”

The Minister continued:

“I know that government can’t succeed on its own and I recognise the valuable role the voluntary and community sector plays in helping us work towards reducing death and injury on our roads. I look forward to seeing the difference these initiatives will make in supporting my Department to deliver powerful road safety messages to the heart of communities addressing their specific road safety problems.

“Collectively, as a community, we need to work towards zero road deaths. The efforts of the whole community will surely help in bringing us closer to this goal. After all, we all share the road, so we should all share the responsibility.”         

Notes to editors: 

1. Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon launched the 2020/21 Road Safety (Safe Travel) Grant Scheme on 3 September 2020.
2. The scheme offered individuals and community groups an opportunity to apply for funding of up to £10,000 to develop and deliver local road safety initiatives.
3. The organisations which will benefit from funding are as follows:

Road Safe NI Ltd - Across Northern Ireland
£4,995

The aim of the project is to develop a Highway Code book for children to support their road safety education. Ensure that children are educated on the dangers of the road so they travel safely. Available in digital and a hard copy format, the book will focus on key road safety messages.

St. Mary’s GAC, Rasharkin - Rasharkin
£2,750

The project is to host a program to educate the general public in the community of the procedure of using roads in the rural area. Hope to increase the public using foot for shorter journeys and encourage them to take part in fitness programs based around walking / running short distances.

BEAM Creative Network - Donaghmore
£9,960

This project will give KS1 & KS2 children the opportunity to explore road safety themes.

BEAM will adapt and develop an interactive screen play which will be distributed to all primary schools in the north of Ireland. The film will educate children how to stay safe on the roads, whether in the car, on your bike or as a pedestrian. They will also promote cycling and walking short journeys. The film will be sent with an accompanying teacher resource which will enable schools to deliver a road safety workshop with the children.

Road Safe NI: Newry, Mourne & Down Committee - Newry, Mourne & Down Area
£4,000

The project is to distribute hi-vis vests to children in the district. Children are one of the most vulnerable road users and increased visibility of the children will help reduce the risk of being hit by a vehicle.  There is a great emphasis on encouraging children to walk, cycle or run if they are able to.

Belfast Healthy Cities on behalf of Care Zone - Belfast
£9,767.68

The project will raise awareness among schools and the local community on the impact using different modes of transport to school. It will increase the knowledge of road safety issues with children, young people and the local community, while promoting the physical and mental health benefits of active travel.

New Driver Safety Ambassadors Ltd - Across Northern Ireland
£9,925

The project aim is to provide online presentations to students in post 16 schools and colleges throughout Northern Ireland. The presentation aims to teach them about all things motoring especially road safety and how it affects them, their friends and family in the event of a serious collision. Also to discuss alternatives to driving such as walking, cycling or public transport. To incentivise the students to watch all aspects of the presentation and sign the online pledge, there will be a chance of winning a new car with insurance. 

Cycling UK - Across Northern Ireland
£10,000

The project looks to produce a short, interactive, online courses for drivers, to promote safe driving practices around people cycling. Specifically targeting close passing, car dooring and drivers understanding of cyclists road positioning. They will engage with employers throughout NI to promote the course with staff who drive for or as part of their work. The course will be accessible via mobile phone, tablet or computer, reinforcing the message of responsible driving and awareness of vulnerable road users.

Carrickfergus Road Safety Committee - Carrickfergus
£2,510

The aim is to provide 5 projects:

• Road Safety focused quiz
• Poster Competition                         
• Slow Down Children Playing
• See and Be Seen
• Safe Driving Video

Colin Neighbourhood Partnership - West Belfast
£4,583.59

The project will improve healthy life expectancy and reduce preventable deaths by addressing road safety and unhealthy lifestyle issues with the following 3 projects:

• Encourage and influence children to be aware of potential dangers and hazards;
• Inform children and adults of the benefits of walking and cycling short journeys, help with confidence of cycling safely and identifying risks;
• Local information campaigns to educate the community about road safety issues and encourage better behaviours and attitudes among road users.

Healthy Kidz CIC - Across Northern Ireland
£10,000

The project aims to support 15 primary schools to provide a road safety programme for their pupils and their parents. They will provide each school with license to their Healthy Kidz app and dashboard.

The 12 week programme will use the app to track walking and cycling to and from school, challenge the pupils and parents with targets and awards, while also reinforcing key road safety messages and positive safety messages. The programme aims to reach 1500 children aged between 5-11 and their parents. A final report will be published with the result for the Department of Infrastructure.

Mount Eagles / Lagmore Youth & Community Association - West Belfast
£7,800

The project aims to raise awareness around road safety on a local level through the delivery of the series of road safety workshops while encouraging safe active travel. The main focus of the workshops will be safe travel, road safety, and effective use of road crossings as well as safe cycling. The project will focus on young people and parents, encouraging walking and cycling as a safe means of transport as opposed to the use of the car.

Around 400 children, young people and parents will take part in the project.

CYCUL - Belfast
£5,119

The aim of the project is to undertake research using questionnaires to gather necessary data, identify patterns and understand the common barriers to cycling in urban Belfast which can be used to produce a report and infographic and hopefully design potential solutions to the perceived barriers.

Derrytresk Community Projects - Coalisland
£800

The project aims to encourage healthy means of travel by walking and running among adults and children in the rural area while maintaining safety and avoiding accidents. This will be done by providing hi-vis materials and providing safety awareness information.

Ballinacraig Community Association - Newry
£3,858                            

The aim of the project is to undertake road safety workshops in a local hall and working with the local community police and the charity ‘The Road Ahead’ to talk to the young ones of the area and hand out educational packs containing information which will increase road safety awareness in the immediate rural area.

4. All media queries should be directed to the Department for Infrastructure Press Office at press.office@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk.
5. The Executive Information Service operates an out of hours service for media enquiries between 1800hrs and 0800hrs Monday to Friday and at weekends and public holidays. The duty press officer can be contacted on 028 9037 8110.
6. Follow the Department on Twitter @deptinfra and on Facebook @DepartmentforInfrastructure

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