Irene Reid (lollipop lady)

Irene Reid, MBE (born 1940 or 1941) is a British lollipop lady who, in 2017, was declared the UK's longest-serving lollipop lady.^[1]

Irene Reid MBE
Born	1940 or 1941
Occupation	Lollipop lady
Years active	1968-present
Title	Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire

Reid works as a lollipop lady in Longridge, Ribble Valley,^[2] covering the Longridge Church of England Primary School crossing on Berry Lane.^[3] In 2003, she was awarded the Golden Jubilee Lollipop Person of the year.^[4] In 2012, she was declared the longest-serving lollipop lady in Lancashire^[5] and was awarded an MBE by Elizabeth II for her services to road safety.^[6][5] In 2017, it was estimated Reid had ferried pupils across the road 1.3 million times.^[7]

In June 2024, Reid received a special award from Lancashire County Council for her 55 years of service. She told the BBC: ""I've done this job for so long really because of the people in Longridge. They are so nice, they're all behind me."^[8]

Reid has been outspoken about crossing safety for children, openly criticising plans by Lancashire County Council in 2014 to reduce funding for crossing patrols.^[9] Reid also worked with the Longridge Youth and Community Centre for a decade.^[10] In mid 2024, she was aged 84 and a great-grandmother of 10.^[8] Reid is in a relationship with Hawklords musician Harvey Bainbridge.^[1] She appeared on the British television game show Blankety Blank in 2021.^[11]