Children reveal what they think of Westbury

THE town’s iconic White Horse, the sweet shop, and feeling safe and secure are all great things about living in Westbury, children say. 

48 children aged between seven and 11 years of age took part in a Pupil Voice Conference recently, where they aired ideas and opinions on the concept of ‘community.’ They also discussed what they thought of their own community.

The schools that took part were Chapmanslade Primary, Westbury Leigh Primary, Westbury Juniors, Dilton Marsh Primary, Bitham Brook Primary, and Bratton Primary. Children at the conference were encouraged to put forward the views of both themselves and their classmates.

Pupils said their concept of a community is a place they call home, where they feel safe and where they can get to know the people around them.

Sarah Hopkins, partnership co-ordinator for the Westbury Schools Partnership said, “It’s the first one we’ve done, and we talked about what children think about the community and they are all proud of where they live.

“On the whole, the children of the Westbury community feel safe and like living in Westbury.”

Children were asked to think of three things that were good about Westbury and three things they would like improved. Many children commented on the White Horse while they also liked having a sweet shop in the town. They also appreciated having a swimming pool, parks, and the views and environment of the countryside.

Children wanted to see more shops and better shops, with comparisons to The Shires shopping centre in Trowbridge. They also wanted more leisure opportunities and an activity centre such as Braeside Education and Conference Centre in Devizes.

Some wanted to see less building and less development, valuing the woodlands and nature in and around the town.

Children also said they wanted to see people in Westbury take more responsibility for cleaning up after their dogs and litter.

The conference was funded by a grant from the Westbury Area Board and will lead on to a ‘safe places’ project.