Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
‘Pay to dig’ road roll-out will cut jams
Incredible teen off to top US university
JAMS caused by utility firms’ roadworks could become a thing of the past as a “pay to dig” scheme is rolled out nationwide.
Lane rental schemes, in which utility companies are charged up to £2,500 a day for digging up the busiest roads at peak times, have now been successfully tested in London and Kent.
Transport Minister Jo Johnson said: “Lane rental has seen a massive drop in disruption to drivers.
“Now we want millions around England to get the same benefits.”
AA chief Edmund King, said: “This is long overdue.”
The charges are an incentive for firms to dig outside of rush hour or work with other companies to stop roads being dug up multiple times. PRIDE of Britain winner Tilly Griffiths, who overcame a cruel musclewasting disease to raise £5million for charity, has won a place at one of the world’s top universities.
The 18-year-old is to study at Stanford after a gaining a string of GCSE A*s.
Tilly, born with spinal muscular atrophy which left her unable to walk, control her head or lift her arms, said: “It has been a dream since I was about 12.
“But the more I looked into it, the more I realised there was no reason I couldn’t turn it into a reality.”
And now, after completing English and French A-levels, she has been offered a scholarship at the California business, science and IT institution which has nurtured 30 living billionaires, 17 astronauts and 67 Nobel winners.
Last year she won a place on a programme offering gifted UK pupils admissions to American universities and spent a week touring US campuses. The plucky teen said: “I knew then that this was where I had to go.”
Tilly scored in the top 1% in the entrance tests to win a Stanford place studying Communications.
She was also boosted by the fact US universities have 100% wheelchair access, explaining: “Getting around easily is a massive deal for me. Combined with the great all-year weather I’ll be able to achieve so much I couldn’t here.”
Tilly, of Leek, Staffs, hopes her degree will help with a career in the charity sector. She also wants to set up her own programme called Now or Never to provide once-in-a-lifetime trips for terminally-ill children.
She said: “It will be dedicated to three friends I met through Caudwell Children charity who have died of cancer.
“In 2008 I was taken to Florida as part of their Destination Dream programme. It was an incredible trip but it only takes place once a year.
“Too many children might not be able to wait that long so Now or Never will provide year-round holidays to California for terminally-ill children.”
Tilly’s scholarship pays only tuition fees so she has set up a fund-raising page to find the £20,000 a year she needs for accommodation, living, travel and other expenses for her and her assistant.
She said: “The extra financial support will make a huge difference not only to my being focused on my studies but also in setting up the charity.”
Tilly was eight when she won our Pride of Britain Child of Courage award after raising £360,000 to buy high-tech wheelchairs for other children.
And since receiving her award from Sir Bruce Forsyth, her fund-raising total has topped £5million. She has also used her incredible determination to master skating, sailing, mountain climbing – and has written a book about it all.
Mum Jackie, 56, said: “Every year it amazes me how she sets her sights on yet another seemingly impossible goal and achieves it. She’s been blessed with the most incredibly optimistic nature.”
TO donate to Tilly’s crowdfunding target go to www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/tillygriffiths or read her blog at www.dreamswheelsandkillerheels.com