Your letters: Road safety concerns and Squirrels memories from the archive

​A vehicle can be a weapon

The van driver didn’t intend to kill me on Friday afternoon. Thanks to the car driver who braked while coming towards us on Radford Lane, they missed me.

How can we call ours a civilised society? We sanction the deaths of too many people when drivers are allowed to exceed the speed limit.

AI will be able to prevent speeding, but I cannot wait for that.

Cut the limit on rural roads immediately. If I am struck by a van going at 20mph, I may not be able to cycle again, but I will have a better chance of being alive to pursue them in court.

I would like to remind all drivers that the privilege of hurling three tons of glass and metal around carries with it a responsibility to other people - and to cats.

John Rowley, Wolverhampton

Happy birthday Squirrel Scouts

This month marks the fifth birthday of Squirrels Scouts, which is something worth celebrating for young people and communities across the West Midlands.

Squirrels gives four and five-year-olds a safe place to belong, develop skills and confidence, and enjoy new experiences and adventures.

There are now 30,000 Squirrels across the UK and, as a proud Scouts Ambassador, I had the privilege of joining Squirrels and volunteers from across the UK, including the West Midlands, at Gilwell Park in London to mark the milestone.

Squirrels is reaching more families and communities than ever, with one in four Squirrel Dreys based in some of the most underserved communities.

This would not be possible without more than 6,000 volunteers, who create welcoming places where young people can learn, grow and make friends.

From minibeast hunts to campfire treats, Squirrels gives children their first taste of adventure while helping them develop skills for life. Recently, a Squirrel called Conor used first aid skills he had learned at Scouts to help save his mother’s life when she started choking. It is a powerful example of how those skills can make a real difference.

The young people I celebrated with last week will never remember a world before Squirrels. Seeing them take on a climbing wall for the first time was a wonderful reminder that confidence can begin with simply trying something new.

And Squirrels is for adults too. Volunteering is a chance to play a part in helping the next generation develop skills, friendships and confidence.

Warwick Davis OBE, Scouts Ambassador

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