Councils bring back their FREE Litter Bug Detectives activity trails competition for the school summer holidays
From Saturday 6 August to Sunday 4 September South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse district councils are once again running FREE Litter Bug Detectives activity trails for children in villages and towns across the districts.
Those taking part have a chance to win £20 vouchers for themselves and a rainbow-coloured bench – made from recycled plastic – for their school.
The trails average just over 2km on marked routes around local parks and recreation grounds. There are 14 stops on each route with questions on waste and recycling. The answers to the questions give letter clues to make up a three-word answer at the end.
Local town and parish councils are managing the trails using materials from the councils’ waste team. The activities follow a successful scheme run during the school holidays last year.
The trails are aimed at primary school children (under-12s) to promote recycling and reuse messages and explain the damage litter does to our environment.
Each child, who sends in the correct answer, can request a personalised Litter Bug Detectives certificate. They are also entered into a prize draw – one draw for each council – for £20 vouchers for themselves and a bench for their school.
Cllr Sue Cooper South Oxfordshire District Council cabinet member for said: “This was very popular last year, with lots of entries and lots of parents telling us how nice it was that the councils provided something fun and free to do during the school holidays. For us, it’s also a great way to promote recycling and reuse to primary school children – and their parents.”
Cllr Sally Povolotsky, Vale of White Horse District Council cabinet member for Climate Emergency and the environment, said: “The trails are fun, free and local. Hopefully many families can just walk to their nearest trail. In addition to some exercise, the children get a chance to win a prize for themselves and their school, and also learn some interesting facts about waste!”
How to take part
- Go to our Litter Bug Detectives Trail webpage and download the trail map of the area you wish to visit. The map will show a trail to 14 sites.
- At each site there will be a question on the theme of waste and recycling. The 14 answers will each provide a letter each to make three words.
- Email the three-word answer and your name and address and school to waste.team@southandvale.gov.uk before midnight on 11 September and the team will send you a Litter Bug Detective Certificate and enter you for the prize draw. Terms and conditions are on our web pages above.
Notes to editors
The trails will be available from 6 August at the following sites:
- Abingdon Ock Path
- Didcot, Ladygrove
- Drayton Millennium Green and village green
- East Hagbourne
- Forest Hill
- Great Coxwell Barn and footpaths
- Kennington Playfield Road recreation ground
- North Hinksey
- St Helen Without Sandleigh Road recreation ground
- Thame
- Uffington recreation ground and village
- Wallingford
- Wootton cricket ground and Old Boars Hill
- Whitchurch on Thames
