The Jade Appeal was originally founded in January 2001 to press the county council into building a footbridge across the A249 at Detling following the death of Jade Hobbs, eight, and her grandmother Mar-garet Kuwertz, 79.
Now the campaign group set up to promote road safety issues is appealing for help to spread its vital message and expand its support for Walking Buses.
The Appeal is now a county-wide initiative supporting a number of road safety projects - but Walking Buses are proving to be one of her biggest causes.
To help hammer home her road safety message appeal chairman Caroline Hobbs, of Detling, is hoping schools and community groups will respond by organising events to help fund the work.
Holding an event to support the Jade Appeal? See e-mail below:
e-mail Paul and Caroline Hobbs
Visit the Jade Appeal official website...
The Jade Appeal with the support of the police, has already sent a video entitled 'If Only' to every secondary school and youth group in the county. This spells out the dangers teenagers face when first behind the wheel of a car.
Now Mrs Hobbs and her committee of hard-working volunteers are also supporting the growing network of Walking Buses in the county and have already given grants to fund sets of reflective safety tabards for the Kent Walking Bus Group and supported the development of the Walk on Wednesday and Walking Bug walk to school schemes.
Caroline and Paul with
Photograph of Jade
Funds raised will be spent on a variety of road safety projects, and also to support the creation of extra Walking Buses in the county.
Mrs Hobbs said: "Funds will also be used on measures that stand no chance of ever being funded by the council bollards or railings outside schools, maybe. "It seems children are driven everywhere by parents in a rush.
It makes the roads more dangerous, more congested, and the youngsters are not learning essential road safety skills. This is one of the reasons the Appeal supports Walking Buses as they both help to cut the numbers of cars on the roads and also teach the basics of crossing roads safely.
For an information pack, which contains a sponsor form and poster, or to let Mrs Hobbs know about a fund-raising event being planned, call the Jade Appeal hotline on
01622 730449
Purple should be the theme of any fund-raising events organised to support the Jade Appeal. This was the colour of Jade's uniform at the Hilton Hall dance academy in Maidstone and has been the official colour of the campaigners.
Fund-raising ideas to support the The Jade Appeal can include sponsored walks, non-uniform days, cake sales or your own ideas.
An information pack containing a sponsor form and a poster can be obtained by calling the Jade Appeal hotline on 01622 730449
Schools or youth clubs wanting a copy of the If Only road safety video should contact Steve Hansford on 01622 653209
Visit the Jade Appeal official website...
