Public Treasure Hunt Launches across Northumberland
This Walk to School Month, Northumberland County Council has teamed up with The Alnwick Garden to inspire outdoor activity among local families.
As part of the Ready, Set, Explore! initiative, a county-wide treasure hunt is taking place, with golden pumpkins hidden in local parks and nature reserves. Each pumpkin contains a free family pass to The Alnwick Garden and Lilidorei - just in time for the October half term.
Year 4 pupils from Red Row First School attempted to find the first golden pumpkin this week at Druridge Bay Country Park, with Dolly Aitken finding it within 30 minutes.
Six golden pumpkins can be claimed from Druridge Bay Country Park, East Cramlington Nature Reserve, Plessey Woods, Flagstaff Park, Tyne Riverside and Bolam Lake, from Sunday 20th October.
Speaking on the competition, Councillor Colin Horncastle, Cabinet member for Looking after our Environment at the County Council, said: “I would encourage everyone to head out in nature this half-term.
"We are fortunate to live in such a beautiful county with a host of outdoor activities right on our doorstep, and you might even find a golden pumpkin or two.
“We have enhanced several of these spaces over the past two years by planting trees, improving accessibility and upgrading amenities.
“It is a pleasure to team up with The Alnwick Garden, to inspire our residents to enjoy these spaces and spend more time in nature.”
In Northumberland, only 13 percent of all journeys are completed on foot or by bike, despite the fact that a third of all journeys are just 5km or less. Earlier this year, Northumberland County Council revived its sustainable travel campaign with ‘Ready, Set, Explore!’, to encourage more people to enjoy the county without picking up their car keys.
Mark Brassell, chief executive of The Alnwick Garden, said: “Spending time away from screens and out in the fresh air is something we strongly advocate at The Alnwick Garden, with our Lilidorei play village designed for this very purpose. We had a great deal of fun supporting the council’s Ready, Set, Explore! campaign and would encourage everyone to embark on a Northumberland adventure this October, whether revisiting an old haunt or discovering somewhere new.
“We wish a huge congratulations to Dolly on finding our Druridge Bay golden pumpkin and look forward to welcoming them, along with the other winners, to The Alnwick Garden and Lilidorei for a day of half-term Halloween fun.”
Richard Bollands, head teacher at Red Row First, added: “Our pupils had a brilliant time completing the Druridge Bay Country Park Ghost Walk. As a school, we feel passionately about encouraging outdoor activities among our students all year round and the council’s new campaign felt like the perfect way to celebrate this.
“We give special thanks to The Alnwick Garden for adding some extra magic to this trip.”
For more information on Ready, Set, Explore! please visit: https://nland.uk/explore