| Irene Reid | |
| Birth Date: | 1940 or 1941 |
| Occupation: | Lollipop lady |
| Years Active: | 1968-present |
| Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire | |
Irene Reid, (born 1940 or 1941) is a British lollipop lady who in 2017 was declared the UK's longest-serving lollipop lady.[1]
Reid worked as a lollipop lady in Longridge, Ribble Valley,[2] covering the school crossing on Berry Lane,[3] earning her a 2003 award for The Golden Jubilee Lollipop Person of the year.[4] In 2012, she was declared the longest-serving lollipop lady in Lancashire and was awarded a MBE by Elizabeth II for her services to road safety.[5] [6]
She has been outspoken about crossing safety for children, openly criticising plans by Lancashire County Council in 2014 to reduce funding for crossing patrols.[7] By 2021, she had been working as a lollipop lady for 53 years. Reid also worked with the Longridge Youth and Community Centre for a decade.[8], Reid lived in Ribble Valley and was aged 81. By 2019, she had four children,[1] including a daughter, Angela, six grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren. She appeared on the British television game show Blankety Blank in 2021.[9]