Henley School gets a new roadside sign thanks to a council competition

There’s a new sign going up at Valley Road Primary School in Henley, thanks to South Oxfordshire District Council. The sign appeals to drivers to turn off their idling engines when they are parked nearby.

The sign, especially commissioned by the council was created when one of the school’s pupils, Alana, then aged 7, took part in its competition, which was run earlier this year to highlight the issue of air pollution.

Children were challenged to create superheroes to combat air pollution. There were 66 entries but Alana won it for her creation, Miss Awful Air Away who “sucks in dirty air and blows out good air. Her hands can suck in rubbish and teleport it to a rubbish bin. Her earrings suck in carbon dioxide and change it to oxygen.”

As well as winning a new roadside sign and specially designed posters for her school Alana won the top prize of a new scooter and matching helmet, which she received at a special assembly this week, attended by Cllr Sue Cooper, South Oxfordshire District Council cabinet member for Environment, climate change and nature recovery and local ward councillor Ken Arlett.

Cllr Cooper, said: ”Speaking to the students it was so good to see that so many children came to school by cycling or walking rather than by car.  

“It’s important for them to know that we should reduce polluting our atmosphere and stop wasting energy. By using cars less and by not wasting fuel or energy such as not leaving a car engine idling we can all do our bit to improve air quality and reduce pollution.”