28 April 2008 09:27 Shropshire school safety starts from the ground up, thanks to Central Networks

Young children at a Shropshire primary school are about to stay safe and play safe thanks to a bump-er £2,500 grant from Central Networks.

The Parent Teacher Association at St John's Primary School in Bridgnorth has been given the money from the electricity distribution company's Safer Environment Fund to give the school grounds a face-lift and improve it for vulnerable pupils.

School volunteers have already raised £4,500, with Central Networks stepping in with the rest to allow work to go ahead this month.

New flooring will be laid and fenced off to give younger pupils - some with special needs - a separate area to play away from the bigger children, cutting down on accidents from children bumping into one another.

"Whether we are helping to improve school playing surfaces or warning children of the dangers of electricity, one of the main things we think about is public safety," said Phil Wilson, Customer Operations Manager for Central Networks.

"We're delighted to be involved in this project as it'll not only improve the look of the school grounds but will also make playtimes a lot safer for the younger and more vulnerable children."

The project is one of the winning applicants for the Safer Environment Fund from Central Networks, part of E.ON, which makes money available for projects that demonstrate they will have a lasting and positive effect on the local environment.

Catherine Connery, chairman of the PTA at St John's, said: "The dedicated area for the younger children will mean so much; they will be able to have space to extend their play activities.

"Having an attractive area to play in that is clean and safe is vital for this age group. It will provide a particularly safe flooring area for some of our most vulnerable children.

"We're all absolutely thrilled by this donation, what a difference it will make."

Ends

Notes to editors:

• Central Networks brings power to 4.9 million customers across central England through 133,000km of underground and overhead cables and via almost 97,000 substations;
• Central Networks covers an area from the Peak District in the north to parts of Bristol in the south, and from the Welsh Borders to the Lincolnshire Coast.

For more information contact:
Andrew Barrow on 02476 183 677