A CAMPAIGNING Weymouth family who helped make Dorset roads safe for children have won a national award.

Parents Helen and Michael Toft and their sons Alastair, 16, and Cameron, 13, have been recognised for their determination to save 60 lollipop people’s jobs.

They won Candis Magazine’s Campaigning Family of the Year Award.

They are one of five families nationwide selected as finalists in the Outstanding Family of the Year Awards.

The family, of Hillcrest Road, campaigned against a move by Dorset County Council to withdraw funding from crossing patrols and did not stop until the authority backed down.

Mrs Toft, who is 52 and a school governor, said: “I still can’t believe we won in the end.

“I’m very determined when I get the bit between my teeth – and thankfully with this cause Michael and the boys have helped every step of the way.”

Mrs Toft still leads a ‘walking bus’ to Holy Trinity Primary School every day.

Her sons understood exactly why it was important to keep the country’s lollipop men and women in their jobs.

Cameron said: “We were always helped over the road outside school by lollipop people. They weren’t just doing their job, they were friendly and part of our community.”

Mr Toft, 47, who works for the Royal Navy in Bristol, said: “As soon as she heard about the cuts, she knew we had to campaign against them – with Helen it’s all about justice, and fairness.

“Several lollipop people have been clipped by cars protecting kids, so the thought of children crossing the roads without their help made us shudder.”

Each member of the family dedicated precious time to help their campaign by emailing, writing letters, building up a blog and a petition and recruiting angry local parents to the cause. Mrs Toft added: “We got 10,000 signatures on the petition.

“We wanted the council to know all about it, so in 2011, we organised a march to hand in the petition.”

She was asked to explain their objections at a council meeting and later appeared on television.

l The awards ceremony will be held in London on May 28, when a celebrity panel will announce the overall winner.