Lollipop ladies – and men - are in short supply in York. CHARLOTTE PERCIVAL joins them to find out why.


IT IS a damp, foggy morning in Haxby.

Lollipop lady Moira Ellis has been on duty since 8.25am and she admits she is freezing while helping the steady stream of children and parents to cross the road outside Ralph Butterfield Pri-mary School.

It gets much worse than this, though.

“The rain is the worst because you get absolutely drenched,” she laughs, waving at one of the children.

“You get so wet, you’re just dripping.”

Moira, 59, who has been on school cross-ing patrols for 24 years, is well wrapped up today. As well as the requisite high-visibility yellow coat, she is wearing thick gloves and a black headscarf – a godsend this winter.

It is miserable today, she admits, but at 9am, after the ten-to-nine rush, she can get back on her bike and cycle home, to do it all again at 3.15pm.

Moira covers just one of the school crossing patrols in York, but there are many more waiting to be filled.

There are eight pressing vacancies across 30 schools and City of York Council is so keen to fill them that it has upped the money, from £6 an hour to £7.38. It is a rewarding job with great holidays, a chance to chat to parents and children and the knowledge that you are providing a valuable service.

So why is it so difficult to fill?

“It’s the same throughout the country; you have trouble filling the posts,” says school crossing patrol coordinator Fiona Kent. “I think people have the wrong impression about the job. Maybe they don’t like having to turn out twice a day. Also, it was low pay until recently.

“It’s bitterly cold in the winter, but then in spring and summer it’s an absolute joy.”

Throughout Moira’s 24 years with the lollipop, she has seen almost everything.

Cyclists who won’t stop, drivers who won’t stop – one even hit her lollipop – and a woman who drove on the pave-ment and on to the grass verge to avoid stopping – and then got out to shout at her.

She can hold her own though, she says, and most people are friendly and polite.

“You get to know all the children. I don't know all their names but you get to know who is with who and things like that,” she says, striding into the road with her lollipop.

“I started when my children were at school because I was looking for some-thing that would fit in with school hours and I didn’t like the idea of having to leave them.

The uniform is not great, she says, but it is important.

Two years ago, a woman in Lincolnshire was killed when a driver failed to stop and ploughed into her. A man suffered a broken arm and leg last year for the same reason.

The weather is hardly a plus point ei-ther, but my mum is a lollipop lady and I have seen how rain, hail or shine, she turns out with a smile on her face to help the little ones – and big ones – to cross the road.

Working with Moira, I can see why. The children love her warm smile and hearty laugh, and most of them wave or shout hello.

“You’ve got a helper,” shouts one boy, skipping across the road.

It is her busiest time, 8.50am, but she reminds him not to rush and shares a joke with a parent.

Despite the cold, it is lovely to chat to so many parents and children, and lovely to see how much they appreciate it.

Not everyone does, warns Moira, and she has dealt with her fair share of trouble makers.

Moira’s dedication is appreciated by the school and each year she joins the chil-dren for Christmas dinner. She was once invited to present the sports day trophies by the headmaster and the school is very supportive if she needs staff to “have a word” with particular children.

At Christmas, many children bring her presents and one boy even bought dog biscuit for her dog, Holly.

Mind you, getting covered in slush from speeding traffic is not much fun, she says.

Moira was presented with a 20-years service award at the Mansion House, while seven other school crossing patrols were rewarded for 30 years.

So will she make her thirtieth too?

“I really don’t know,” she laughs. “Every year I say this is my last year but I’ve been saying that since I started. I’ve got no idea.”


Could you work on a school crossing patrol?

SCHOOL crossing patrollers must be fit, friendly, and confident and like children, says co-ordinator Fiona Kent.

You don’t need any qualifications but will be subject to a police check and will be given training.

That involves one or two hours of going through the law and the Highway Code then practical training and learning to use the stick.

“Crossing patrols are a friendly face, a sense of security and if a child is being a little bit bullied on the way to school they can go to the patrol and stand by them,” said Fiona.

“It can be perfect for mums. Sometimes, patrols find there are other opportunities within the school as well, such as being a cycling proficiency instructor.”

Fiona accompanies new recruits for their first three shifts and longer if required.

Hours vary depending on the site, but are typically 90 minutes a day spread over two shifts, usually sometime between 8am and 9am and 3pm and 4pm.

If you think you have got what it takes, phone Fiona on 07909 685095 for informal chat.