Kensington Primary School children led a campaign to improve crumbling Sibley Grove Bridge. Newham Council gave them a grant. MP Stephen Timms with Kensington Primary School children

New bridge victory for Manor Park children

Melissa York, Reporter Tuesday, July 17, 2012
2:00 PM

Young community campaigners at a primary school in Manor Park unveiled the bridge they fought three years to improve on Saturday.

Back in 2009, pupils at Kensington Primary School launched a campaign to make Sibley Grove Bridge, a pedestrian crossing near their school in Kensington Avenue, a better and safer place.

The children identified the bridge as a source of anti-social behaviour and bullying and, after carrying out research with other pupils, teachers, parents, and residents, found they felt the same way.

After alerting Newham Council to the situation, Kensington Primary pupils marched through the streets to highlight the problems and wrote to East Ham MP Stephen Timms with proposals for how the bridge could be improved.

Following a grant from the council, the children worked with architects and a graffiti artists to create the mosaic mural currently brightening up the new and improved Sibley Grove Bridge.

Offically opened by Mr Timms and Cllr Lester Hudson, the school held an event for the whole community on Saturday to welcome the colourful addition to the Manor Park landscape.

Serin Patel, PSHCE co-ordinator at Kensington Primary School, said: “They care a lot about the school and the community they live in and they want their community to be a safe one where every one is proud of the area they live and go to school in.

“They want to make a difference.”

The campaign was part of a Citizenship Foundation project for primary schools called Go-Givers which aims to develop responsible, caring citizens to make a positive contribution to their community.