STRUGGLING WITH THE SCHOOL RUN? HELP COULD BE CLOSER THAN YOU THINK

Research by motor insurance specialist, Churchill Insurance, suggests that grandparents want to help on the school run, but parents don’t feel they can ask

 ·      70 per cent of parents say that they face difficulties getting their children to and from school

·      Nine in 10 grandparents (90 per cent) would make sacrifices to their daily routine to help get their grandchildren to school safely

·      Yet one in two (51 per cent) parents said they’d still feel uncomfortable asking their parents for help

Research by motor insurance specialists, Churchill Insurance, indicates that grandparents are desperate to help out with the school run, with 90 per cent saying that they would make sacrifices to their daily routine to help get their grandchildren to school safely.

However, over half of parents of children aged 5-11 said that they’d feel uncomfortable asking their parents for help, despite 70 per cent of the nation’s parents struggling with the school run.

Whilst over half (60 per cent) of grandparents currently help out with the school run at least once a month, many are willing to sacrifice more to help get their grandchildren to school safely more often – with over one-third (36 per cent) even willing to forego a hospital appointment to lend a hand.

Although over half (57 per cent) of parents would prefer that their children could safely walk to and from school on their own, they are faced by a range of concerns. The most common barriers are working long hours (20 per cent) and concerns about unsafe roads and crossings (16 per cent), mirrored by the shared concerns of parents and grandparents regarding ‘stranger danger’ (65 per cent) and busy roads (55 per cent).

Although parents admit to not feeling comfortable asking their own parents for help, 42 per cent say that they would actively encourage them to help out by becoming a lollipop man or woman.

The purpose of the research is part of a nationwide campaign by Churchill Insurance to place 50 Lollipoppers on in need school crossings throughout the UK. The campaign, launched earlier this year, aims to combat the diminishing number of iconic crossing wardens following legislative change in 2000 meaning they were no longer a legal requirement.

Following over 50,000 nominations for over 6,000 primary schools to be provided with a Lollipopper, Churchill Insurance is now looking to recruit for the positions throughout the UK and has targeted grandparents as possible applicants for the role.

On the research, Lara Crisp from Gransnet, said: “Many of our users have fond recollections of the unsung heroes who helped their children cross the roads years ago – and are justifiably concerned about the near misses they’ve witnessed at their local schools who no longer have Lollipoppers.

“We’ve found the grandparents on Gransnet generous with their time and resources when it comes to childcare and a good understanding of the pressures on today’s parents. Having more lollipoppers around is bound to reassure any parent or grandparent whose child has to cross busy roads to get to school.”

Beryl Quantrill, great-grandparent and Lollipopper for 52 years, added: “Even after 52 years on the school crossing, I still enjoy bringing joy to the faces of children every morning and afternoon – it gives me great satisfaction seeing them to safety.

“During my time on the crossing I’ve seen generations of children come and go, growing into young adults. It’s an incredibly social job where you can build lasting relationships in the local community – from the children, to teachers and parents. I’d urge any grandparent contemplating the job to give it a go – school crossing patrols are an important service and an integral part of the local community!”

For more information on how you can become a Lollipopper for your local school, visit www.Churchill.com/Lollipoppers

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