BrightKidz

Joggers advised to wear bright reflective clothing

2011-04-08T13:06:00.001Z

If you go jogging or walking late evening or early morning you may want to take a look at this article: MSMS | MSMS Encourages a Safe Return for the ‘Weekend Warriors’. If it's true for joggers then cyclists should take heed as well.

I quote 'In 2007 alone, 4,654 pedestrians died and 70,000 were injured in traffic accidents in the United States, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Evenings and mornings posed the greatest risk, due to the lack of visibility. Many of these deaths and injuries involved joggers and might have been prevented had the joggers made themselves more noticeable to drivers of motor vehicles.'

When I was a kid out cycling I used to think that it was up to road users to see me whether I had lights or not. High visibility clothing was just not heard of. That's all very well but the cyclist invariably comes off worst in a collision. That's why I take responsibility for making sure motorists have the best chance of seeing me. I have observed that most motorists are very considerate of cyclists perhaps increasingly so these days. I also think that if a cyclist or jogger demonstrates to a motorist that they take their safety seriously by wearing hi vis and a helmet then motorists are more likely to take them seriously as well. However, I'm sure this depends on your location. In London I'm sure the whole experience may well be different.

Fluorescent Sports Shirt - Product Review

2011-04-07T13:14:00.000Z

Well it's been warm for the last few days but has it been warm enough to cycle to work in a t-shirt? Time to test out our new T-shirt.

It is certainly bright being fluorescent green (other colours are available : yellow, orange and pink) - it will make me visible during the day. There is no reflective material on it so is no aid to visibility after dark. They can be customised with a reflective print to aid night time visibility.

These shirts are lovely to wear. The material is very light and feels cool to touch. They are made from Neoteric textured fabric with inherent wickability for comfort (takes perspiration away from the body). My journey to work takes about 30 minutes and it felt comfortable for the whole journey.

These shirts can be customised with a custom print (minimum order 10) or you can choose one of our popular prints. Normal retail price for 1 is £12 but bulk discounts are available and schools, local authorities and youth groups can apply for additional discounts.

Why not take a look at this product on our website?

Spring is in the Air!!

2011-04-07T08:55:00.003Z

You can definitely tell that Spring and the good weather is on the way. My colleague has just arrived at work looking very bright in one of our new fluorescent sports shirt which he wore for cycling in to work. Feeling very inspired maybe I'll give it a go next week!!

This picture shows the high vis rucksack which works both as a great way of letting other road users know you are there, plus lots of room to carry everything.

Some great new products for the spring

2011-03-31T10:10:00.013Z

I love the new products we've just introduced for the spring. There are some nice colourful incentives for kids. I particularly like our new rubber (erasure for our US customers) codenamed rainbow. We were going to call it a 'rainbow rubber' but knowing what our kids are like we'd have been given the third degree having blue and red next to each other!

If you want to promote active lifestyles then you've got to take a look at our new 'Be Bright Get Active' pens. Originally we wanted to do these in purple text on red but it just didn't show up very well.

Are you looking for new ways to get the road safety message across in the classroom? Then look no further than the delightfully illustrated book 'The Dangerous Road Game' by Hedley Griffin.

All these products and many more are available at www.brightkidz.co.uk and remember if you are a school, local authority or youth group then you can register online for discounts.

We've also added some great new adult clothing to our range. These fluorescent sports shirts are just what you need if you are out and about jogging or cycling. Or you might like one of our new fluorescent fleeces.

Social Vision Awards - Regional Winner!

2010-12-07T11:17:00.004Z

We were over the moon to be chosen as the East Midlands winner of the Social Vision Awards. The aim of the awards is to find images which best capture the work of Social Enterprises.

All regional winners were entered into a national online vote, which was won by Fordhall Community Land Initiative. We would like to say a massive thanks to everyone who voted for us and our lovely picture of a Walking Bus has been made into "January" for the Social Enterprise calendar.

2010-12-07T10:27:00.004Z

Avoid the nasty cold weather and order those last minute Christmas presents from the comfort of your home. We've got some great new products which would be ideal stocking fillers. This trendy new neon neck warmer is fab for keeping warm in those freezing temperatures. Equally why not try out the reflective tag which attaches easily to bags and ensures you are seen day and night. Don't forget if you spend over £10 on our website you will receive a sheet of shiny feet stickers for free!!

Lights Camera Action

2010-11-09T10:12:00.004Z

Lights Camera Action

Gosh with the clocks changing this weekend saw a rush of promotional activity for us all at Brightkidz. This year the validity and wisdom of changing the clocks has been revisited - should we move our clocks forward an extra hour in-line with Europe. With the debate for double summer time becoming a political issue and discussed by all the major parties, we were able to offer our view on this emotive subject on various media, local radio and television no less!

We shall watch with interest as the bill for Daylight Saving makes its way through Parliament.

New Reflective Items

2010-10-07T09:19:00.003Z

With misty damp mornings becoming the norm, why not check out our latest flashing reflector and reflective tag, great ways to ensure that your children are seen on the way to school.

The reflective tag comes in four fluorescent colours and affixes to your bag or baggage enabling you to easily locate your items. Whilst the flashing light reflector has a choice of permanent, fast or flashing settings. As it is reflective it will show up in car headlights even when not switched on. Even looks good in a disco!!

For more new products why not go to our website Brightkidz.co.uk.

International Walk to School Day

2010-10-05T10:42:00.003Z

Did you know that tomorrow is International Walk to School Day where the intention is to get everyone across the world to Walk to School on this one day. Who knows you may enjoy it so much that you then want to carry on indefinitely.

The whole walk to school month is a great way of highlighting the benefits of getting youngsters walking to school. Its a great social time for the children, catching up with their friends on the way to school and it has also been shown to increase concentration through the extra exercise. From an ecological perspective it is a step to reducing the carbon footprint.

So come on, pull on a high viz waistcoat and join this great international day!

Re-use rather than recycling is greenest IT strategy - 10/08/2010 - Computer Weekly

2010-08-16T11:03:00.000Z

Re-use rather than recycling is greenest IT strategy - 10/08/2010 - Computer Weekly

Interested to see this report. Another good reason for delaying purchasing a new pc.

Social Enterprise Mark

2010-08-11T09:19:00.002Z

BrightKidz received the social enterprise mark at a ceremony in Leicester.

Lance Holland, Director of BrightKidz said

“We’re really pleased to be awarded the Social Enterprise Mark because it shows BrightKidz isn’t just about selling ‘high vis’ products – it recognises all the work we do to promote safe, active, sustainable travel to school”.

The organisations were presented with certificates by Lucy Findlay of the Social Enterprise Mark Company at the SEEM organised event which looked at the future role of social enterprise in delivering public services. The government’s vision for the ‘Big Society’ places social enterprise at the heart of the reform of public services

The Social Enterprise Mark is supported by the Office of the Civil Society, the National Lottery through the BIG Lottery Fund and Capacity Builders. Visit www.socialenterprisemark.org.ukto find out more

To cycle or not to cycle!

2010-07-07T08:58:00.004Z

Much has been made in the press this week regarding a couple who could face being reported to social services for allowing their children to cycle to school. The family who live in South London, currently allow their two children aged 5 and 8 to cycle less than a mile to school, but they have been referred to the school's headmaster who believes that the children should be accompanied both ways.

This item has definitely split public opinion as on one hand you have the debate that there is insufficient activity for children and that we need to get them out and about on their bikes and then the other side declaring that the parents are being irresponsible. I suppose it all comes down to personal choice and making sure that the children are safe. I wonder if they have heard of high viz!!

Great New Book to enjoy the School Run

2010-07-05T08:49:00.003Z

Have you ever thought how you can encourage your children to walk or cycle to school, then this excellent new book written by Ann Kenrick is the answer. "Let me Out! How to enjoy the school run " was published in 2009 and has plenty of practical advice on how to set up your own scheme, where funding can be secured and lots of other helpful tips.

For more information check out our website Brightkidz.co.uk

Fun new teaching aids

2010-07-02T10:52:00.003Z

We have now received some great new teaching aids to get the message of safety on the roads across to the children in a fun and interactive way.

Why not take a look at the large puppet of a Lollipop man which is a great teaching resource or a fun soft toy. This puppet can be used in conjunction with the Teaching mitt of "People who help us". All these new products are located on our website Brightkidz.co.uk.

National Childhood Obesity Week 5-11 July

2010-07-02T10:32:00.003Z

Next week sees the start of National Childhood Obesity Week which is being launched by the National Obesity forum and MEND (a social enterprise dedicated to reducing global overweight and obesity levels), which is calling for a strategy to tackle childhood obesity and launching a charter to bring all organisations working in this area.

With such super weather this is the ideal opportunity to get out and about with the children and the week is aimed at encouraging more children and families to get active together by showing them how much fun physical activity can be. Why not check out MEND's website www.mendcentral.org to see what events are in your area.

Greener Together

2010-06-28T15:25:00.003Z

Following on from Kate's post why not join in yourself? We are looking for more people to take part in this initiative. All you have to do to get started is register, fill in a baseline survey to say what you are already doing and what else you could do (make a few pledges) and start being greener.

Full details of the project are at http://www.greenertogether.coop/

If you are interested, either contact BrightKidz with any questions, or register directly at http://www.greenertogether.coop/user/register .

When you register, please make sure to select "BrightKidz" as the participating organisation.

Its Poncho Time

2010-06-28T10:00:00.006Z

Its festival time once more and whilst we are all praying for the good weather to continue its always better to be safe than sorry so why not have one of our super new Ponchos. We have either the Eco Poncho suitable for both adults and children which is made from clear biodegradable plastic. Or to ensure that you don't lose your child at one of these events, there is the child's high viz option which will definitely make you child stand out.

Greener Together

2010-06-28T09:43:00.004Z

I am feeling very virtuous this morning as I have just completed a questionnaire by Greener Together an initiative run jointly by co-operatives UK, Confederation of Co-operative Housing CCH and the Plunkett foundation.

The aim of the scheme is to help people to live in a more sustainable way. Its very simple you register and then complete a short questionnaire and make various pledges to live in a greener way. I have pledged to make sure that I am recycling as much as possible and remembering to switch lights off and unplug electrical equipment whenever I can. So go ahead and see what you can do for the environment by joining the Greener together initiative now!

Work out those measurements!

2010-06-22T09:58:00.005Z

Ever sat in a maths lesson and either forgotten to bring your calculator or ruler, well those days are over. Why not take a look at our super new dual powered calculator / ruler so you only have to locate one item in that busy school morning dash. The calculator works with both batteries and solar power when there is sufficient light. In a stylish silver colour it will make a great addition to any school bag.

Wake up time !!

2010-06-22T09:09:00.004Z

Add some fun to your early starts with a new flexible friend. This is no ordinary digital alarm clock; it's shaped like a walking man and you can change his poses by bending his arms and legs. The clip on his 'back' means you can even attach notes or reminders to see when you wake up. He can also grasp a pen.

Walk to School Week

2010-05-19T09:01:00.003Z

You still have a chance to get those last minute prizes for all the excellent schemes that have taken place over this week. We have some great prizes for instance why not look at the promotional pencils which can have your own logo printed on them. So why not take a look at our website Brightkidz.co.uk and give us a call.

Reduce speeding in our villages

2010-05-13T09:23:00.003Z

Brake has once more raised the question of a 20mph speed limit for towns and villages. At an international conference held in London today, they have highlighted the fact that a car driven at 20mph or lower can stop in 12 metres (about three lengths) or less, giving the driver a good chance to brake and stop in time if a child runs out ahead. Any increases on this speed then reduce the safe stopping distance of cars and the casualty outcome. Therefore we really do need to revisit the whole issue of speeding in our towns and villages.

The Social Enterprise Mark

2010-05-10T10:22:00.002Z

We are in celebratory mood after having been awarded the Social Enterprise Mark which identifies us as trading for social and environmental purposes.

The Social Enterprise Mark is the brand for social enterprises and was launched 1st February 2010. The Mark identifies businesses which meet defined criteria for social enterprises and consumers will recognise that businesses displaying the Mark are trading to benefit people and the planet.

Well done brightkidz!

Walk to School Week

2010-04-26T10:22:00.000Z

Everyone is at it this month with "Walk to School Week" kicking off on the 17th May until the 21st May. This year the theme is "Walk your Way" focusing on how walking to school helps children learn vital orientating skills to help them navigate and get to know their local area, improving confidence and safety.

We have some great products to help everyone participate in this great scheme

Moonwalk London 2010

2010-04-21T09:50:00.001Z

On a foolish whim last year I agreed to take part in the Playtex Moonwalk in London, organised by Walk the Walk to raise awareness and money for breast cancer causes. Only now, with 3 weeks to go the full realisation that I have to walk 26 miles starting at midnight, wearing only a bra, is starting to sink in!!

Everyone here at Brightkidz is being great, offering lots of support and encouragement and you certainly wont miss me in all of my highvis gear definitely putting the company motto of "Seeing you go safely" to the test. Training is going well with a possible walk of 18 - 20 miles tomorrow. Keep a look out for further bulletins.

Bike to School Week

2010-04-19T09:19:00.005Z

Did you know that next week 26 - 30 April is Bike to School Week which is an excellent way to get youngsters on their bikes. There are so many benefits for children from cycling to school, not only are they fitter, they are more alert at school and making the most of this fine weather. Whilst many parents may be concerned about the safety aspect of children cycling to school, if you don some highvis gear, be it a waistcoat, or reflector or sash, then they have more chance of being spotted by motorists.

So why not give us a call or check out the website Brightkidz.co.uk to get some promotional items to make your Bike to School Week go with a swing.

Sustainable Schools Event Workshop

2010-03-24T11:38:00.003Z

At the beginning of March Brightkidz held a very successful day's workshop to provide ideas on how to promote walking to school. The session was fun and practical, getting the children outside in the fresh air which makes them more active and alert. It also helps them and their teachers understand different walk to school schemes.

The workshop was a big hit with everyone getting involved and appearing to enjoy themselves. If you are interested in holding your own workshops why not take a look at our website http://www.brightkidz.co.uk/walking-to-school/event-workshops.html for more ideas.

Easter is on its way!

2010-03-24T11:05:00.004Z

Where does the time go? To think that it is Easter next weekend and the children on holiday once more. Thankfully the weather is improving, nights are getting lighter and all the bikes are coming out of the shed. Did you know that according to Sustrans research in early 2009, that 79% of British women never cycle at all. To help remedy this situation Sustrans has produced a guide called Bike Belles which is packed full of ideas, tips and advice to help you enjoy enjoy riding your bike. So go on get your bike out and experience the joy of cycling.

St Patricks Day

2010-03-17T10:14:00.001Z

As today is St Patrick's day why not wear something green? Here at Brightkidz we have plenty of eye catching items so you too can have the luck of the Irish. How about a high viz waistcoat for when you are going to and from your St Patrick's day event!

Clocks changing

2010-03-15T09:56:00.001Z

We've only 2 more weeks before the clocks go forward giving us an extra hour of daylight. So this means that we can all get out and about in the extra daylight. It's interesting to note that recent research by Sustrans, the UK's leading sustainable transport charity, has shown that 79% of British Woman never cycle at all. Why is that? In an attempt to get more women cycling they have produced a guide called "The Bike Belles Guide" which can be downloaded free from their site. So come on all you women lets get out on those bikes and see what we've been missing!

Bike week this year is 19-27 June.

2010-02-25T09:24:00.002Z

Team Green Britain, founded by EDF energy is sponsoring this year's bike week.

Find out more at www.bikeweek.org.uk.

Find out what events are taking place near you.
Register your event if you are organising one
Lots of useful hints and tips for participants and organisers.
There is also a cycling calculator that calculates how much money you save by cycling to work.

I'm not all that impressed with the calculator as all you do is enter the miles cycled and it multiplies that by 40p which is the cost you can claim from the government for private miles. If I drive a Jag I'm sure it will cost me more to get to work than a Fiat Panda. They say that a health benefits calculator is on the way. How many calories do you burn per mile?

Walk to Work Week

2010-02-24T11:16:00.001Z

The organisation "Walking Works" has announced that they will be holding a Walk to Work week from 26 - 30 April 2010 - an excellent incentive to walk off all those Easter Eggs! To help achieve this they have set 5 challenges:

try walking all or part of the way to work
try walking all or part of the way from work
hold a walking meeting
walk all or part of the way to the meeting
take a walk during a lunch break

Hopefully with the weather improving it gives added impetus to get out there. If during your lunch break you fancy a walk, you could always pack your high viz rucksack with a brightsportz water bottle and off you go.

Adrenaline Alley - Social Enterprise in Action

2010-02-22T15:44:00.010Z

How not to cycle to school!!!

Just visited Adrenaline Alley - very well-named indoor urban sports area in Corby, Northants which attracts BMXers and skateboarders from all over the UK and overseas to perform their amazing stunts. It is also a great facility for the young people of Corby... providing a good environment to practice their skills and keep them entertained.

It's in a converted old chicken factory now fitted out with massive ramps and jumps including the 'vert' ramp (as in 'vertical') which I was invited to slide down (this involved a tad too much adrenaline for me so I declined). We also saw kids practising stunts with their scooters and in-line skates.

Mandy Young is the genius behind this really successful project and she and her team have picked up a stream of awards for their success.

Adrenaline Alley, like BrightKidz, is a social enterprise - an economically sustainable business providing social benefits with any excess income ploughed back into the organisation. It's great to meet up with other social entrepreneurs and understand the passion behind their business.

Walking to School Poems

2010-02-22T10:14:00.005Z

Gosh the walking bus is everywhere - on a recent visit to the Lake District I came across a super leaflet produced by Capita Symonds and Cumbria County Councils called "Walking to School Poems". These were the results of a competition run by Cumbria County Council as part of their "Better Ways to School" campaign. This initiative is aimed at reducing unnecessary car journeys and improving safety along routes to and from School. The poems are definitely worth a read and make you want to walk to school just so you can say them!

Never too old for a Walking Bus

2010-02-17T10:50:00.005Z

Swansea University have come up with a brilliant idea to make sure that after a night out students can get home safely. They have set up their own Walking Bus which will escort students across the campus and runs every hour between 9 -2am. It will be interesting to see how popular the bus was - I wonder if they were wearing high vis because I know a great place to get some!!

2010-02-15T10:30:00.000Z

Did you know that every day in Britain 10 children and young people are killed or seriously injured while on foot and bikes, this can be further broken down to 6 young people and 4 aged between 0-11.

To help highlight these statistics Brake, the Road Safety Charity have just announced that the next Road Safety Week will be held on 22 - 28 November 2010. The theme for the week is "Kids Say Slow Down", calling for all drivers to slow down, introducing 20mph limits where possible.

In the months leading up to the campaign we will be looking at ways you can get involved, so look out on our website for ways to help @ Brightkidz.co.uk

On Your Bike!

2010-02-10T10:21:00.002Z

Half Term holidays are nearly upon us and what a great chance to get out with the children on their bikes and enjoy the fresh air. To ensure that they are seen why not have a look at our great range of spoke reflectors, these help you to be seen on your bike day, dusk and night… and they are really funky especially if you collect different colours. The reflectors are particularly good for increasing visibility from the side so helping you to be seen by traffic at junctions. As our motto is Be Bright Be Seen and get on your bike this 1/2 term.

Experiments with a kitchen composter

2010-02-09T10:56:00.003Z

A few months before Christmas I bought a kitchen composter from evengreener.com. We already compost all our uncooked waste organic matter and I wanted to reduce the contents of our landfill load still further.
For those of you who don't know what they are a kitchen composter is a plastic box into which you can empty scraps of organic waste including cooked food. Each time you do this you mash the food down with a masher (supplied with the composter) and sprinkle bokashi bran on top. An airtight lid seals the waste in. The scraps of food don't decompose in the composter; they are kind of pickled by the bacteria in the bran. You keep doing this until the bin is full. You then leave it with the lid on for a couple of weeks to ferment after which time you can add it to your compost or dig it straight into the garden.

One of the by-products of the process is a liquid that can be drained off via a tap in the bin. This liquid can then be used as plant feed. It is a miracle feed. We had a tomato plant that had some green tomatoes on it that my daughter had grown at school and for months they had stayed green. We had given up hoping they would turn red. We started feeding the plant in November and shortly afterwards the tomotoes started turning red and ended up fully red.

It costs a bit to get started and it costs a bit for the bokashi bran but we are reducing the landfill and getting some composts for the garden and some wonderful plant feed. I thoroughly recommend this for anyone who wants to reduce their carbon footprint.

A word of warning though the liquid stinks so dilute it with some water on your houseplants!

Walking Buses go Multicolour in Medway with BrightKidz

2010-02-08T13:32:00.004Z

Children from Medway's Walking Buses are being kitted out in new BrightKidz UK made waistcoats thanks to the scheme by the KM Walking Bus group and funding from Medway Council.

The first school to be presented with the waistcoats was St Andrews School in Rochester. Parent coordinator Sandra Mumford said

“There's certainly no groaning when I tell them to put them on now in fact they can't wait to wear them.

“They've proven so popular that I have had another eight children register on the bus since they've seen them.”

Spring Walk to School Week

2010-02-08T10:45:00.003Z

Is spring round the corner? Living Streets believe so as they have just announced the dates for the Spring Walk to School week, running from 17th to 21st of May. It may seem a long way off but if you want to get your school involved its never too early to start planning.

This week is a great way to get everyone thinking about walking to school. They can try it for the week and then hopefully adopt it for the longer term. We've got lots of handy hint and tips for just the job with lots of items that can be given away as prizes and incentives for the children. why not visit our website for more ideas and to down load a booklet on ways to get children walking to school.

Be mine this Valentine

2010-02-03T10:30:00.001Z

Be mine this Valentine - why not get that special someone something completely different which shows how you care for them but has the added bonus of keeping them seen in the evening. These rigid reflectors attach to clothing or bags and show up in car headlights. Who needs flowers and chocolates when this reflective heart lasts a lot longer.

Big Lottery Photo Shoot

2010-02-01T21:34:00.007Z

Gorgeous sunshine today and lots of smiles.... but freeeeezzzzzzing cold for our photo-shoot with children from Kettering Park Junior and Park Infants schools Walking Bus.

Some time ago BrightKidz had funding from the National Lottery's 'Awards for All' scheme to help with one of our 'be safe be seen' educational projects. Today we fixed up a photo shoot with children from one of the schools we worked with at the request of the 'Big lottery' fund for publicity to show the kind of project they support.

It was actually a bit of a re-enactment in the lunch hour, as it's not a great idea to have a professional photo-shoot outside busy school gates as hundreds of other children and parents arrive in the morning! All the children who took part are regular 'walking busers' and really enjoyed being part of this special photo shoot in their different colour high vis jackets... I must say they looked stunning and loved the 'fame'!

School Travel Plans

2010-02-01T10:43:00.003Z

Did you know that school travel plans can cut school traffic by between 8 and 15%. So what are school travel plans? The government has set a target that all schools will have a School Travel Plan by the end of March 2010. The aims of these plans are as follows:

to bring about a significant reduction in the use of cars travelling from home to school.
safer travel to and from school
fitter, healthier, happier pupils
greater awareness of environmental and health issues associated with walking to school

All admirable qualities and so easily achievable. For more information why not check out our website www.brightkidz.co.uk/walking-to-school/school-travel-plans.html.

Modeshift Training Day

2010-01-27T10:45:00.002Z

Alison is heading to the dizzy heights of Bristol tomorrow for a training seminar. The event is being organised by Modeshift an organisation set up to support sustainable and active travel for young people and school communities by supporting those who are working with them to achieve these goals.

The day promises to be enlightening, spent sharing best practice on using arts and media to promote sustainable travel messages. Its a great forum for like minded professionals to share ideas in how to achieve sustainable travel.

Lunch boxes

2010-01-25T10:47:00.002Z

Lunch Boxes - much has been in the press recently about healthy eating and what are we putting in the children's lunch boxes. Why not grab one of our super new sports bottle, so that you know that they have sufficient fluids to keep them going until its time to fill up again.

These super new sports bottles fit really well into our hi visibility rucksacks which can be used by both children and adults alike. So lets all get healthy together!!

Co-operative Walking Bus Scheme

2010-01-20T11:00:00.004Z

Its amazing the number of Walking Bus schemes that have emerged over the last few years. It definitely seems to be a response to the media and concerns over healthy life styles. Schemes seem to be popping up all over the place as schools are recognising the need to encourage more children to walk to school.

The Co-operative group has become actively involved and made it one of their causes where by they are offering schools walking bus packs if they are located close to a Co-operative Group Store.

So get in touch with the Co-op and together we can all do our bit and get more children walking to school.

Brake to Thank Supporters at Westminster Reception

2010-01-18T13:43:00.003Z

Another trip down to the ol' smoke tomorrow as I'm heading to road safety charity Brake's Annual Reception at the Houses of Parliament.

We'll be finding out their plans for the year ahead and meeting up with other businesses which support Brake's aims.

They'll be announcing the winners of the 2009 Road Safety Parliamentarian of the year Awards (ie an MP who has been super supportive of road safety initiatives and deserves a good pat on the back) and Volunteer of the Year.

It will be good to meet up with like-minded people... and of course I'm also looking forward to the canapes!

Blue Monday

2010-01-18T10:23:00.007Z

Apparently today is officially Blue Monday so here are 4 reasons why it shouldn't be classed as that.

The weather feels positively tropical
The snow has gone so walking to school much easier with the children
We've passed the shortest day so the nights are drawing out
OK its Monday but only 4 more days then its the weekend!!

So throw off those Monday morning blues and get out and about in something bright and cheerful.

Peppa Pig Buckles Up

2010-01-16T16:27:00.003Z

The production team for cartoon character Peppa Pig have decided to draw in seat belts and other safety features following complaints from parents. See the BBC article.

Reducing speed limits in villages

2010-01-13T11:00:00.004Z

What do you think to a 20mph speed limit around villages? A report from the charity Living Streets shows that 1 in 5 parents say they would be more likely to let their children walk to school if speed was reduced. A further study undertaken by Hull City Council shows that following the introduction of a reduced speed limit, the council saw a 74% reduction in the number of child pedestrian casualties.

To make this more achievable, under Department for Transport proposals, these lower limits can be introduced without the need for traffic calming measures which makes the whole scheme more attractive.

Healthier ways of getting to School

2010-01-11T11:22:00.006Z

National Modeshift Conference - last year Brightkidz attended this conference in Glasgow which was a big get together for all the school travel professionals. It was a very informative and inspiring meeting when like minded people gathered, looking at ways of encouraging school children to walk to school, this could be achieved with Park and Stride, Walking Bus schemes.

One brilliant scheme being run by Buckingham County Council is scootering skills to get youngsters enjoying a healthier way of getting to school - what an inspiring and simple new scheme.

10 Reasons to Walk to School in the Snow

2010-01-07T16:51:00.006Z

No need to scrape the car windscreen.
It's a bit more effort but think of all those extra calories you're burning... bye bye mince pies.
There's less traffic around and it's probably slower.
You can be detectives with footprints in the new snow - count the pairs of smaller footprints to see how many children have already been your way. Spot the paw-prints too.
You can carry your bags on a sledge.
It's easier to see dog poo on the pavements... and avoid it!
You'll see your city/town/village in a new light... pretty like a Victorian Christmas card scene.
It may even be quicker than going by car.
You can look out for the longest icicle (best once the thaw sets in). Clue: houses with low roofs and broken gutters are great for these.
If you get to school and it's closed, at least the kids will see their friends and find out 'the place to be' for snowballing and poly-bagging. Enjoy yourselves!

Promotional Merchandise

2010-01-06T12:02:00.003Z

Promotional Merchandise - so what is this you may ask? Its not just those free pens you pick up at an exhibition or event but in fact any printed item used to promote a brand, campaign or organisation.

So if you think our cute, funky reflectors are solely about being safe and seen, think again....they are also an eye-catching way to promote any message, club or group.

New Year, New Beginnings

2010-01-04T13:36:00.005Z

A happy New Year to one and all. So how are every one's New Year resolutions going? How about adopting the government initiative on reducing your carbon footprint by cycling to work twice a week - not only would you be doing your bit for the environment but also helping to work off that Christmas pud! There are many ways that people can get involved; sharing a lift to work, making one less car journey a week.

Anyone who has read my cycling blog (I'm afraid I haven't kept it up - but how's this for a resolution on the fly - I'll do a monthly update!) will know that I started cycling to work a few years ago. I'm afraid to say the weather has put me off a bit lately. However at BrightKidz we do try to car share wherever possible. Even without the threat of global warming the green revolution makes sense. It is patently obvious that we live on a planet with dwindling resources. Sooner or later we'd be forced to be a bit more careful with our resources. The global warming debate has really focussed our attention. Even if global warming all turns out to be 'hot air' (pardon the pun) the world will be a better place when we are all green.

2009-12-21T09:56:00.000Z

Christmas holidays!! - Christmas is virtually upon us and we're all getting very excited. If you need any last minute gifts, a snowflake reflector to pop into that stocking, we are here until 3pm on Wednesday, shut until the 29th of December, then there will be reduced office cover 29th - 31st of December. We will be back to work bright and early on Monday 4th of January getting ready to break all those New Year's resolutions!!

All that remains is to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year. See you in 2010!

2009-12-16T10:55:00.003Z

New Clearance Section - everyone loves a bargain don't they? We've just introduced a "Clearance Section" to our Website. You'll find lots of products which are either end-of-line, design change or end of season with at least 20% off. Take a look at our ghost reflectors which currently have 20% off the RRP.

University of Northampton launches social entrepreneurship degree

2009-12-15T11:51:00.004Z

I have just learned through the SEEM (Social Enterprise East Midlands) newsletter that 'the University of Northampton has become one of the first universities in the UK to launch a degree in social enterprise'. The course fact sheet begins with a quote

“We don't hire people to bake brownies; we
bake brownies to hire people"
Guiding principles of Greyston Bakery, who make
brownies for Ben and Jerry’s Icecream

I like that. Social enterprises are businesses with a social aim. For them the people come first. The business arises out of the need. It's not just about making money. This is one of the themes I covered in my presentation at the university. We started our enterprise as Safe Kids Walking with the aim of promoting walking to school. To rephrase the above quote "we don't promote walking to school to sell high vis; we sell high vis to promote walking to school"

Get Active this Christmas

2009-12-14T10:00:00.007Z

Did you know that according to a survey commissioned by the British Heart Foundation a third of children aged between 8 and 13 do less than an hour of exercise a week, with 20% thinking that only applied to them if you were fat! These are shocking statistics and over the Christmas break why not use the time to get out and about with the children and make the most of the time together. Even though its cold why not put on your high vis beanie hat and take the venus flyer and enjoy a good runaround with the children.

Promoting Social Enterprise & Co-operation at Northampton Business School

2009-12-08T11:04:00.004Z

A while back I was asked to do a guest lecture for about thirty students studying at the business school. Originally I thought I'd do it and then Alison got interested and I could see she would end up doing it. However due to workload she decided not to go and so I had free rein.

I hadn't done a formal presentation with powerpoint slides and stuff for about ...ohh I don't know, 20 years? Anyway I picked a date in December as I thought we'd be a bit quieter then (fat chance)!

I learnt a lot in preparing for it. I guess I had it in the back of my mind for a few weeks mulling over a few ideas. A few weeks back, once Alison had pulled out, I had a vague awareness that I would actually have to go through with this and I did have a slight feeling of angst.

It was fun going back over the history of BrightKidz with Alison recalling how we started off as a campaign group promoting walking to school never with any idea of setting up a business. How we eventually realised there was an idea for a business selling hi vis waistcoats and how things developed from there to include reflectors, stickers, bags, umbrellas etc. How we started adding custom printing, invested in printing equipment. It was interesting to looking at where we are now and relating it back to our roots. How our green promotional merchandise range has developed organically out of our existing relationships with our customers.

Anyway I was determined to do as good a presentation as possible and followed all the advice on mentally preparing for this kind of thing. I visualised the presentation in my mind, mentally rehearsed it. Saw the room and the students, imagined the feeling of confidence giving the talk, imagined the feeling of elation after a successful presentation. When I arrived at the lecture room I was surprised it was actually so similar to how I imagined it would be even though I hadn't been there before.

Before starting the talk I followed a tip from my Tae Kwon Do instructor about concentrating on the first couple of moves of your pattern before starting as a good start sets you off in the right direction (literally in the case of Tae Kwon Do). I made sure I knew exactly how I was going to begin the presentation. This gave me a great start.

A major part of the presentation was to talk about what being a social enterprise meant to us and why we chose the worker's co-operative model. After the talk we had some questions and answers and I was impressed with the quality of the questions and discussion. The class was then split in two and asked to discuss a couple of problems that we have in the business at the moment.

Problem one was how we should brand our green range of promotional products. Should we use the brightKidz brand or should we develop a new one & how was I to promote the business. Did I need two business cards for example?

Problem two was how do we get secondary school kids to be visible? This question arose out of the discussions vision is to get every year 7 pupil issued with a hi vis rucksack, which I think is a fantastic product. There was some discussion over whether this would work.

Overall the presentation & discussion went on for about 2 hours and I was thrilled with the outcome. Well worth doing and hopefully I've spread the word about social enterprise and co-operation. The whole presentation was videod so hopefully I will be able to put a snippet on the website when I get a copy. I will also put the presentation on our website.

Incidentally I have just been tidying up my inbox and I found a link to a couple of presentations done by Divine Chocolate on social enterprise. If only I had seen them last week it would have given me some good ideas. On the other hand maybe it was better just to do my own thing. However I would recommend these presentations.

2009-12-07T10:14:00.006Z

Just can't think what to fill those Christmas stockings with this year, then look no further as Brightkidz have some fun and funky gifts at very affordable prices. For all those Santa's helpers out there what about a great Santa zip clip or one of our other stylish clips. The flourescent colours show up really well in daytime and near dusk.

Also if you are fed up with all the old boring Christmas decorations why not deck your tree in festive rigid reflectors guaranteed to make a statement on the tree this year

2009-12-02T11:34:00.001Z

Christmas Fairs - now that we have hit December it feels acceptable to talk about Christmas. If you are looking for a different stall for your Christmas fair have you considered one of our "Reflector shop packs". These are are great fund-raising idea and the pack includes a range of our fluorescent, reflective products for day, dusk and night time visibility at pocket-money prices in some of our most popular styles.

Cyber Monday

2009-11-30T10:43:00.005Z

Cyber Monday - did you know today is the busiest day for shopping via the Internet - so don't be left out and go straight to BrightKidz and look at our fabulous selection of gift ideas for that special someone. The ruck sack covers are proving to be great sellers as they are shower proof, reflective, fluorescent and can be easily posted: any cycling adult or child would love this in their stocking.

Growth Readiness Programme

2009-11-23T10:20:00.002Z

New season - New vision!
After being selected by the Regional Development Organisation EMDA to take part in the High Growth Readiness Programme, we held a full staff training session to decide on a company vision for the next 3 years. It was so refreshing and encouraging to see that the future needs of the business were identified not just by me but by the whole team.

We had been chosen for this programme as it was recognised that we had good potential for growth as a business. For this accolade we were provided with the consultancy services of EMDA to help us realise our vision.

After such a successful day we are looking forward to our next session where we will identify how we can realise that vision.

Gone Made for Armbands

2009-11-16T10:45:00.001Z

Gone mad for Armbands - They seem to sleep for much of the year and then go crazy when we get to November. Our highvis armbands really seem to be a big thing this month....you folks out there are buying loads.

Safety and being seen near traffic is so important now that the clocks have changed, we want everyone to be bright. So this year we introduced a second size for children, a plain reflective armband to fit smaller arms. Its not just our plain high visibility armbands that are doing well.....our fun snake design armbands are a hit as well.

2009-11-11T09:42:00.003Z

Off to the House of Commons - On Monday I went to London for the British Promotional Merchandise Association Academy graduation ceremony. This is the day when the studying pays off and I was presented with my certificate in Promotional Merchandise.

This qualification is the first professional qualification for the promotional merchandise industry. Having worked in the industry for several years, its a good way to prove on paper what I know!!

It was great to catch up with some people I hadn't seen in a while over a drink in such swish surroundings.

2009-11-09T10:07:00.004Z

Road safety week is coming up at the end of the month, this annual event is organised by the road safety charity Brake. They are encouraging schools, businesses and communities to get involved in promoting road safety.

So with only 2 weeks to go make sure you are ready for your activities. Take a look at some of our great reflectors - why not even get one of our reflector shop starter packs and run your own stall in school or at work.

2009-11-06T11:17:00.003Z

Its true the weather really does get colder following Bonfire night. This weekend I am going to have to dig out the winter woolies and definitely make sure that the kinds have their high vis for those journeys to and from school as the nights have now started drawing in. Living Streets, a national charity have reported the fact that an enormous 41% of children are driven to school in cars, despite the fact that the average distance to primary schools remains around one mile. So lets not let the darker nights be a barrier to children walking to school.

2009-11-04T10:44:00.004Z

Be Bright be Seen is never more important than on Bonfire Night so that is why our gang will be wearing high vis beanie hats this November 5th, not only to be seen but keep those ears warm on a chilly evening. So do have fun this Bonfire Night!

2009-10-19T09:02:00.009Z

What a busy week ahead! On Thursday I will be heading off to the Footsey social enterprise trade fair in Doncaster www.footsey.org.uk, where there will hopefully be lots of fellow social enterprise organisations attending. I am looking forward to seeing how our eco range is received and if any of our other promotional items make an impact.

I will return just in time for the children to break up for half term. I'm really looking forward to getting out and about this half term with the children, be it in a park or just riding the bikes. As such I often find it much easier to spot the children if they are wearing a high visability waistcoat or some reflective clothing.

Interesting fact for the day - did you know it is Tyre Safety Month and you can carry out your own tyre check by inserting a 20p. into the tyre tread, for more information why not check out their website www.tyresafe.org/tyre-safety-month/introduction/. Whilst you are checking out the tyres, also make sure that your car has all the essentials should you break down including some reflective clothing to be seen at all times.

2009-10-12T08:55:00.005Z

Half Term is fast approaching and that means that the clocks will be changing. Whilst that is good for lighting fires and snuggling up warm, its not so good for school children walking home from school.

According to the AA boys are more at risk from having a road accident in the Autumn term, which can be attributed in some part to poor visibilty. However its not all doom and gloom as by using stylish fluorescent reflective clothing and accessories to increase your visibility day and night it can help to raise the profile of children walking home from school.

2009-10-07T09:56:00.006Z

International Walk to School Month As we have now entered the month of October its time to get everyone Walking to School and what better way than to take part in International Walk to School Month. Throughout October, whilst the weather is still great, all schools and local authorities are encouraged to get everyone to walk to school. Back in 2007 42 countries took part, so why not you? Look at ways of walking to school be it on a walking bus, park and stride scheme or just with a few friends, everyone can do it! Even if you have to drive some of the journey, what about setting up a park and stride scheme, whereby you park in either a local pub/village hall safely away from the main school area and walk the last little bit. Lets see if we can make it a record breaking month.

2008-03-05T20:40:00.004Z

The Big Day - Which School Next?
Yesterday was 'the big day' for local year six children to find out by which secondary school they had been accepted. A tough day for kids - amongst the jubilation of many, there were bound to be tears from those who hadn't got the place they wanted.

It doesn't affect my family yet but my heart went out to others. There was the crazy logic of a child living a stone's throw from a school not being accepted, but another child living many miles away from the same school, getting accepted even though it was second choice. So both children will have to travel miles each day to school, whereas one would have been able to walk.

I don't want to sound too old but.... in my day it was much simpler and there was less heart ache and stress for the children because most kids went to the nearest school. Easy peasy - hopefully a good mix of children, who lived in the local area.

Going to the nearest school meant we could almost all walk to school, there was minimal traffic congestion and lower costs of travel, eg bus. Okay, so there are some benefits to having a 'choice' but the disadvantages of the current scheme are massive in terms of increased pollution and congestion for society and are detrimental to the health and well-being of our children.

2008-03-03T11:44:00.009Z

On the Stage at Stratford Upon Avon

Well it wasn't actually Shakespeare... but on Saturday my kids and I took to the stage at the annual Consumer Co-operative Conference in Stratford this weekend.

We were there to convince lots of lovely people who are involved in co-operative retail businesses across the UK that there is an important role for businesses to play in supporting schools and helping get more kids walking safely to school.

It started with a fashion-show - Dan, Matthew and Julia all kitted out in their high vis BrightKidz waistcoats and fleece, carrying bags and umbrella proudly walked on to the stage to a grand applause.... well that is a bit different from Powerpoint isn't it (which I'm not all that good at)?

I told them about Park & Stride (getting parents to park well away from school - possibly in a supermarket car-park - see the connection with the Co-op!).

Finally I introduced many of them to the Walking Bus concept (some already knew, as The Co-operative Group has already started to provide many UK schools with Walking Bus resources - details about that are on our e-newsletter so contact us if you want to subscribe).

There's nothing like a live demonstration, so my three kids took the role of the adult 'conductors' and led 10 volunteer 'children' from the audience around the conference hall in a Walking Bus. I told my kids to award stickers to all the grown ups who walked nicely.... which caused a great deal of amusement. I think my kids felt like the von Trapp children after that experience!

Anyway, I must use my blog for a quick plug of Co-operative and Community Finance (lenders for social purpose) as they are the nice people who lend us money when we need it (they support 'non-profit distributing', community enterprises like ours). They had invited us to speak to show the Co-op community an example of an organisation they invest in.... and we are a very visual example!

2008-02-29T14:30:00.005Z

Top Local Hairdresser Pledges to Take the Bus
I've just had my hair cut this afternoon (thought I'd better make an effort as I've got a conference tomorrow) and couldn't miss an opportunity to be promoting sustainable transport.

I quite often get the bus home from Kettering to our village and enjoy the ride on this reliable, direct service. Most of the other people on the bus tend to be teenagers or OAPs. The service is subsidised by the council and we've even lost one mid afternoon run due to low usage.

So why don't more people take the bus? I think habit is the main reason, not being aware when and where it goes etc; and a very strong car culture.

Anyway, I was extolling the virtues of our great bus service to Nigel the hairdresser and he agreed that taking the bus would actually be convenient for him once a week... so he has pledged to take the bus to work, much to the amusement(!) of his staff. And now it's in print (on this blog).... so no backing down Nigel! Once he's sorted I'll start work on the other villagers!

2008-02-25T21:28:00.003Z

The Woman who Stops Traffic - New Channel 4 Series
I've just heard there will be a new series starting on Channel 4 TV tomorrow night (Tuesday 26 Feb) which is a must-watch for anyone interested in getting more kids to walk to school (and getting people to leave the car at home generally).

Thanks to Andrew at Living Streets for passing the tip on. Here's the blurb about it from the Radio Times:

The Woman Who Stops Traffic

Tuesday 26 February
9:00pm - 10:00pm
Channel 4

Kris Murrin wants British drivers to cut down on their car journeys. It's a bold suggestion, but then "professional problem-solver" Murrin is a bold woman. She needs to be. When she fetches up, in the first of a three-part series, in the chic town of Marlow in Buckinghamshire, suggesting a leave-your-car-at-home day, she's abused and patronised. But you've got to hand it to her, she's indefatigable, even in the face of being addressed as "my dear" in weary patrician tones by one of the town's elders. The hostility towards her idea seems insuperable, but gradually Murrin starts to capture imaginations. It's the schoolchildren who are most receptive to walking or cycling to school, and their overprotective mums (who cause most of Marlow's rush-hour problems during the school run) who are the most resistant. It's highly entertaining and instructive to watch Murrin chivy, cajole and arm-twist. But will it be enough?

RT reviewer - Alison Graham

VIDEO Plus+: 1539

2008-02-25T20:45:00.005Z

Walking for Health by the Seaside
Well it's been a good half term..... but also good to get back into the swing of things today. Claire got back from a weekend in Eastbourne and was excitedly telling us about the Walking for Health campaign they have down there along the sea front. Apparently there are are signs to say how far you have walked and lots of motivational messages so there must be a real push going on there.

The signs had the same logo on as we printed on some high vis rucksacks recently for another customer so it must be quite a big campaign.

2008-02-21T21:23:00.004Z

Be Bright Roadshow - What the Parents Say
As part of our 'Be Bright' project work I got to meet lots of parents at Highfield Community Centre in Rushden (not far from here). Here are some of the Highfield children modelling our BrightKidz high vis.

When parents see our displays and reflectors the sort of thing they typically say is 'we had those when we were kids so we could be seen'. It is always good to see parents understand why high vis is important for children. Parents want their children to be safe (but not wrapped in cotton wool) and the kids like fun high vis colours and reflectors so it is good to know our high vis products are appreciated all round.

2008-02-21T21:07:00.004Z

Clever Camping
Have you ever been camping and struggled to find the tent zip in the dark? Well, a clever Akela (or cub leader for those of you not in scouting), has realised our fluorescent, reflective zip clips are just the thing to solve the problem... good idea Steven. And I promise we didn't put any pink ones in the pack we are sending for your cubs!

2008-02-21T09:13:00.005Z

Bright Display for Parents Evening

If you are trying to get the 'be safe be seen' message into your school culture it needs to reach the parents as well as the children.

Put up a display for parents evening so they can see what being safe and seen is all about (not just yellow jackets!). It's an especially good chance to show off any high vis with your school logo on which you want to sell to parents.

2008-02-17T17:08:00.002Z

Half Term - Get the Bikes Out
With such a mild, sunny February (so far) this year we want to get out as much as we can this half term. It's a good chance to give the bikes a bit of TLC with a check and go for a few rides with the kids on the days I'm not working.

As we move towards Spring the nights are getting lighter which is good for those cycling home from work. However, with the low sun it can get really dazzling with long shadows in late afternoon and so being kitted out in high vis is still really important (not just something to think about in November!!).

Wishing a safe, active, happy half term to all (unless you had yours last week)!

2008-02-15T08:33:00.002Z

Park & Stride - Keep Cars Away from School Gates

Park and Stride schemes are a quick and easy way to reduce car congestion by the school gates.... and get the kids walking at least SOME of the way to and from school. Parents who have to drive (for whatever reasons) are asked to park well away from the school and walk the last bit. It may be on a quiet side street, in a pub/supermarket car park, with the agreement of the owner. It's all common sense I know... but something that probably won't happen unless you suggest it and promote it to parents.

To help you we developed our Park & Stride packs (reflectors, stickers, self-cling car window stickers and information sheet). We've just updated them so the car window sticker has a special writable panel. The car window stickers can be used solely to promote the scheme or can have an issue number/car registration written on and be used as a special 'Park & Stride' pass.

2008-02-14T11:46:00.000Z

Happy Valentines Day
I hope you all get cards (it counts even if it they're from your kids!). And it has to be a red heart reflector for our photo today...

2008-02-10T10:33:00.000Z

What is High Vis Friday?

The local school held a 'High Vis Friday' this week. All the children were encouraged to wear or carry something fluorescent and reflective to school and bring it to a special road safety assembly. Many of them already have their own high vis waistcoat, cap, sash or bag (depending on personal preference) as it is sold through the parents association. Some waistcoats are even offered free on loan by the school so it is available to every child.

Every so often the Eco committee or Junior Road Safety Officers stand by the school gates and award stickers to all the children who are wearing or carrying something fluorescent. It's one thing for children to have their own high vis, but another thing for them to remember to put it on so the sticker scheme helps by reminding them.

2008-02-02T21:03:00.002Z

I Love Printing

Today I've been busy printing teeshirts, even though it's a Saturday.

Claire and Kim are our experts when it comes to garment printing here but when we're busy I give them a hand. It's one of my favourite jobs.... it's so rewarding to get a logo and transform it into a print on our high vis waistcoats, hats, bags

Schools like having their school logo printed onto our high vis jackets as it looks smarter and people can see where the children are from... good for the school's image too as it shows they take safety seriously (ticks several boxes for OFSTED/Every Child Matters). And printed logos can look really striking against our fluorescent waistcoat and bag colours.

Oh yes, and the bit about the teeshirts.... watch out, they're coming soon.

2007-12-04T22:01:00.000Z

Santa's Visit to the Walking Bus
I've been working on our December e-newsletter today. Of course there has to be a Santa story this month so I put in a bit about when Santa came to visit our Walking Bus last year.

The kids loved it especially as our junior conductors were his helpers and helped give out free wristbands to those who took part. The press also came and took photos (Santa stories in December somehow seem to attract journalists). We had some new recruits, some of whom even came again when Santa wasn't there.

I think any walk to school scheme can do with a publicity/promotion boost like that every now and then just to keep the numbers up and help keep the profile high within school and to the wider public.

The only problem was we used a bit of a cheapo 'beard' - it didn't take the kids long to notice the elastic at the sides but at least they were impressed with the rest.

2007-12-01T21:17:00.000Z

Where are the Cybermen and Welsh Dolls in Cardiff?

For the last couple of days I've been at a conference in Cardiff showing off our BrightKidz high vis wares to lots of school travel advisors (people who work for the council and help you start walk to school schemes and school travel plans etc).

I was also there as a speaker to talk about informal Walking Bus schemes and how they work. They were a friendly crowd so it was a good couple of days (and not too scary speaking as it is a subject I am passionate about).

Of course souvenirs were required for the kids. To them, Cardiff means Doctor Who (as filming is based there), so a model Tardis and first hand description of a meeting with David Tennant and a cyberman would have been first choice. Failing that a Welsh doll for my daughter (black hat etc) for a bit of tradition.... but I couldn't find any of those... and just had to make do with magazines.

2007-11-22T20:40:00.000Z

High Vis Fashion Parade for Assembly

As part of our 'Be Bright Northants' project I went to Victoria Infants School in Wellingbrough to do an assembly last week. Here are some of the kids kitted out in BrightKidz fluorescent, reflective clothing etc for the 'mini fashion show' at the end.

We talked about different jobs where people wear fluorescent, reflective clothing and why they need to be seen. Walking to school is high on the agenda for the school so it was also a good chance to plug walking to school and the 'park and stride' idea which the school is trying to promote.

It's not that difficult to explain to four+ year olds that reflective (shiny) shows up at night and fluorescent (bright colours) show up in the day (I wish adults would understand it that easily). And yes, I know 'fluorescent' is a very long word for a 4 year old - but it is surprising how keen they were to learn it once I told them lots of adults don't know what it means!

2007-11-18T19:18:00.000Z

Will the Alien Keep Cars off Pavements Outside School? Well, not exactly an alien...... more like a face on a box on a stick, stuck into a traffic cone with a speech bubble saying 'This Is Not A Car Park' and 'Pavements Are for People'. This was my Sunday morning burst of creativity to persuade parents not to park on pavements outside school at pick-up time. They are such a hazard as parents with buggies can't get past, children have to step on the road, children can't see round them, other drivers can't see children and worst of all sometimes the pavement parkers start to manoeuvre, reverse and drive off with children right next to them. Rather than direct confrontation (not my style, I prefer tact), my 'alien' will appear on the pavement outside school one day soon. Hopefully good use of an old Rice Krispies box and the Saturday magazine ad photos. I'll let you know how it goes!

2007-11-15T21:24:00.000Z

Today is Social Enterprise Day As BrightKidz is a social enterprise we should really have marked today in some way. Last year children from a local school came to visit us for Social Enterprise Day, tried on lots of products and learned a bit about what a social enterprise is (and that business doesn't have to be just about making money). This year we're so busy packing orders that we had to give it a miss!

I went over to Gretton Homes near Corby this morning to pick up some zip clips which had been assembled by some of the residents. It's a care home for people with Prader-Willi Syndrome - an old house in a gorgeous setting, especially beautiful looking across their garden on a crisp autumn morning like today.

I heard about them a year ago on the radio as they put out an appeal to local businesses to give them paid work to occupy the residents, eg assembling jobs. I thought it was a brilliant idea so now we've set up paying them to put together our zip clips and some reflectors...... which is actually one example of what social enterprise is about.

2007-11-09T22:11:00.000Z

Lambeth JRSOs
Here's a great photo of Junior Road Safety Officers getting kitted out with BrightKidz gear at the London Borough of Lambeth launch of their JRSO scheme. Looks like they enjoyed their high vis fashion show. (Photo courtesy of London Borough of Lambeth Road Safety, reproduced with permission).

2007-06-28T08:31:00.000Z

Rain, Rain Go Away
June has been a washout as far as the weather is concerned and we've had flash floods here in Northants. The ford in the village was closed - a wise move as last January a car was washed under the bridge and down the river (luckily the driver was rescued by some TV aerial repairmen with their ladder). Who says nothing happens in sleepy villages?

Our BrightSportz golf umbrellas are proving handy for the Walking Bus and after school when I walk back with my own children. If storm clouds that are brewing start to burst... we're all covered.

2006-10-08T17:34:00.000Z

JRSOs Learn the Bright Bits
This week I have been all over the county for the five launches of the Junior Road Safety Officers scheme. My bit has been to teach the children taking part the 'be safe be seen' message, particulary 'fluorescent for day, reflective for night'.

The kids seemed to enjoy it, especially the 'high vis fashion show' we had at the end of each session. (Had to say I did feel a bit mean when they asked if they could keep the garments and bags and I had to explain that I needed to keep them for other sessions, but at least it proves how much they liked them).

I think the teachers learnt a lot too judging by their comments afterwards.

The JRSO scheme is organised by our County Council (and others across the UK). It's a great way to get kids to learn about road safety. Two children per school take part, and they pass down the information to other children in their school by holding assemblies, competitions and setting up displays.

Anyway, playtime over for me and back to the office next week.

2006-09-17T10:38:00.001Z

A Camping We Will Go

This weekend my eldest went off on his first cub camp. Made me very nostalgic about when I went camping as a Girl Guide... I remember collecting wood for the fire and scrubbing cold porridge out of big pans (there's no way I'd have agreed to do that at home!).

Someone always seemed to trip over one of the guyropes. This weekend I noticed some of the newer tents had fluorescent guyropes... what a good idea...they're much easier to see in daytime and especially as it starts to get dark... so no more excuses for tripping over them!

Talking of being seen, all the cubs went off on a nighthike on Friday and were well kitted out with their BrightKidz fluorescent, reflective waistcoats - custom made in green with dark green edging and their scout group logo printed on. Afterwards they had fun with torches by shining on each other's reflective bands when they played 'wide games'.

2006-09-17T10:28:00.000Z

Supernanny Uses Shiny Feet Stickers to Get Toddlers Walking to School

On TV the other week Jo Frost (aka Supernanny) was trying to get a toddler to walk to school with his sisters and mum without the young boy having a strop.

To get him interested in the journey Supernanny produced some ' happy feet stickers'.... which I immediately recognised as the Shiny Feet stickers which we sell. They had drawn a simple map of the landmarks they'd see on the way to school and each time he spotted one he was allowed to put a sticker on the map. it was a brilliant way to get him to concentrate on the walk and made life so much easier for his mum and sisters.

We love your idea Jo!

2006-09-09T16:55:00.000Z

Fluorescent Fleece Beanie Caps

Last week our first stock of our new fluorescent Beanie Caps arrived. According to my dear colleagues I'm not cool enough to model them!!! Blooming cheek!!! Anyway they're only £4.30 each at the moment (get a bit of a discount if you're a school or local authority). Yellow fluorescent items are always popular but I prefer these in orange.

2006-09-09T16:51:00.000Z

New Catalogue Now Available

Remember I said we'd been working hard on the new catalogue? Well they've been delivered and we've got thousands of them. So if you want one or some please let us know. Tel: 01536 454994 (UK). Lots of interesting info on how to be bright plus loads of new products.

2006-09-01T16:42:00.000Z

Saying My Bit - Institute of Road Safety Officers Conference 2006

In July I was invited to speak at the Institute of Road Safety Officers’ Conference. It sounded a bit daunting when I was first invited because I had never spoken at a national conference before.The theme of the conference was how road safety should be taught within the school curriculum.

The talk I gave was about linking road safety education with sustainable transport initiatives. In non-jargon speak, that was about making kids safer on the road and getting them to walk.

I think in the past some road safety tactics have been a bit scaremongering, the “one false move and you’re dead” approach to teaching children about being safe on the streets isn’t really going to help them in the long term. It makes parents scared to let their little darlings out, therefore they go everywhere by car, therefore don’t get used to walking along the road, and don’t get any road-sense whatsoever whilst cluttering up the streets with cars, making it more hazardous for all the children.

Personally I think the best way to make children safe near traffic is to get them used to walking, and get them used to dealing with traffic and understanding it, and being able to react to it.

If parents are to be persuaded to let their children walk, then they need to feel that their children are safer so we need to do everything we can to make the children safer but without restricting them and stopping them from walking. So that’s why I think pedestrian conspicuity is so important for children.

Anyway, the audience, who were mostly road safety officers, were interested in the way we’ve been promoting child conspicuity through projects with schools, mini workshops, the information we’ve supplied on our website and, most of all, through our product development....... and I think they quite liked having a real mum there who's got a bee in her bonnet (hmmm...high vis bonnets...hmmm...maybe good for 'Victorian Day' at school).

2006-08-30T16:31:00.000Z

By Car Is Not The Only Way - Work Travel Plans

A couple of years ago I went to a conference on sustainable transport. As I arrived I saw a guy who had come by train and bike asking a conference site manager where he could put his bike, and then having a bit of a dispute over the fact that there were no bike storage facilities. Slightly ironic I think.

Anyway, that incident did inspire me when I was writing our own location details on how to find us on our website recently.

Why assume that everyone is going to come by car? They are more likely to come by car if you assume that they will come by car. If you give them directions on how to reach you by walking, bus, bike or train or any other ways, then they are more likely to use those ways, because they might not have thought of using those ways until you suggested it.

So, for our location directions we give info on how to get to us by bus, train, bike and train, and finally, at the bottom, how to reach us by car with a mention of car-sharing if you can.

Nowadays many organisations (like us) have a work travel plan which gives ideas of how to reduce the amount of car travel by employees and visitors. There are lots of things that organisations can do to reduce car travel, and it doesn’t even have to cost them anything. Having directions on an organisation’s website which don’t make the assumption that everyone will come by car is a really good way to increase our culture of sustainable travel and even help the organisation financially by reducing demand for car parking spaces.

Some people might say what is the point in putting information about where our bike storage facilities are or how to get from the local station to our offices by bike or whether the local train line will accept bikes on its route. They might think
no one cycles anywa so the info is pointless, but you have to look at it the other way. If people see the information, they might think, oh yes, I'll cycle instead, so then more people start to cycle or walk or take the train instead of all turning up in their droves to fill up the car park.

2006-08-15T16:22:00.000Z

Down on the Beach

Had a weekend at Hunstanton with the kids. It was brilliant. We had really gorgeous weather and we all had a really great time. The kids all wore their fluorescent high-viz sun hats and when they were down on the beach, and we were sitting and watching them, we could see just how effective the fluorescent orange in particular was in showing up against the blue sea. Everyone assumes that yellow is the most conspicuous and visible colour but really it depends on the background. If you think about it, anyone who works on the lifeboats tends to wear a fluorescent orange life jacket. Well, why is that? The sea is blue, unless it is really bad weather, and orange is a contrasting colour to blue. So, a sunny day on the beach, the best colour to make the children more conspicuous in the crowd is fluorescent orange.

2006-08-09T16:00:00.000Z

Back To Blogging:

I’ve had to have a bit of a break from blogging as we’ve been so busy, things have just got really crazy here. We’ve moved offices twice in the last three months, so we are just finally settling down. Just as we get more space, we realise that we need even more! But hopefully that’s it for moves for the rest of this year anyway. I’ve also been working pretty flat out on our new catalogue which is a major task, but at last it is almost done and we are ready to be printing at the end of August, just in time for the new school year.

This year, we’ve decided to put a lot more educational information, facts and figures/ science bits into the catalogue to help people understand better about fluorescent and reflective clothing because we realise that it’s not simple, as a lot of people don’t understand what reflective and fluorescent mean, and when they work, so we are trying to get across the fluorescent-for-day, reflective-for-night message and helping people to understand what that means and what those things look like. Hopefully we have succeeded.