Barnet FC's Football in the Community scheme has gone into partnership with Network Rail to deliver safety talks to year 6 classes around the borough.
Janet Matthewson, the FitC manager, says that in the past few years the residents of Barnet and Barnet FC have been touched by tragedies involving railways and, after discussions with the families concerned, she and Network Rail decided to raise awareness of the dangers.
The safety talks encompass an interactive presentation/DVD and discussion, giving the children the facts and figures about trains and railways, finished off by football coaching delivered by the FitC coaches.
Janet said: "We have asked the children to devise a poster sending a clear message to other children about the dangers of the railway and we shall be displaying the winners on www. barnetfc.com at the end of July".
The work of Janet and her team in the community, as witnessed by this latest venture, is not confined to football coaching.... it touches the lives of many.
They use the power of football and the backing of a professional team as a vehicle to deliver and reinforce so many important messages - for example community pride, anti-racism, healthy eating and exercise and now railway safety.
Janet adds: "If we plant the seed today, maybe one day it will stop someone going on or near the tracks for whatever reason and therefore avoid another tragedy. Year 6 children are heading off to secondary school, and with that comes more freedom, we want the kids to think about their actions and the consequences of those actions and our message is clear, the warning signs are there for a reason, stay safe, stay out!
Dennis Signy
