Lauren Woodley from Dartford Grammar School for Girls, won the opportunity to work with the Metropolitan Police in Bexley alongside Bexley Borough Council on Tuesday March 14. 

Already working as a Young Reporter for Newsquest, Lauren was given the job of writing an article about a community project organised by PC Richard Bradford, working in partnership with Stephanie Turner from Bexley Council. 

The scheme is a bicycle project, made possible by Sicup Cycles who approached the Metropolitan Police in Sidcup and asked whether their second hand bicycles could be donated to a local cause. 

Nigel Hill who runs Sidcup Cycles has donated hundreds of bicycles to road safety units and last year gave fifty bikes to Barnados in Tunbridge Wells. 

He said: “Every child should have the opportunity to ride a bike.  It is a rite of passage and the freedom children obtain through cycling is very special.”

The Mayor of Bexley, Councillor Eileen Pallen and Borough Superintendent Stuart Bell, presented ten bicycles to Head Teacher Ms Lori Ann Mackey at Shenstone School in Crayford, together with high visibility jackets and cycle helmets. 

PC Bradford, who is responsible for the scheme, said: “Lauren is a very intelligent young lady, she made a point of speaking to all of the right people with very poignant questions about what, why and how this project all came about. I am very impressed with her work and very happy I got to work with her. I expect this won’t be the last report written by her and I wish her the best of luck in the future”.

Read Lauren’s article here