By Abi Paterson, Hub Worker at Our Future Beeston
Thursday 29th of August saw Cross Flatts Park become the home of a new upcycling event! In the aftermath of the Olympics and anticipation of the Paralympics, Our Future Beeston held a mini Olympics themed around reusing and recycling waste materials.
The games consisted of events such as Mascot Making and a Reuse Obstacle Course. Here, different materials that could be reused were brought to the park to be involved in the games; from cardboard to fabric scraps to recycled bottles and yarn, the kids let their imagination run wild!
Some of the results from our Mascot-Making event included a giant robot, a bottle buddy, and a fridge with usable drawers, among many other amazing creations.
Another event featured a family-friendly obstacle course made out of everyday items that could be lying around the house. These included hurdles made out of boxes, tunnels made out of woggles, and a blanket to crawl under. Importantly, this event aimed to show people simple and easy options to reuse different materials in a fun, but also practical, way, reducing the amount of waste produced through upcycling.
Repurposing and reusing waste materials can also help reduce pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and can help protect wildlife and the environment, all whilst saving money.
The two-hour Olympics engaged approximately twenty-five young people between the ages of 4 and 12, with around 10 adults along for the ride. The crafting activities seemed the most popular, with one young person saying: "My favourite part was the crafting and mascot-making - I liked the cutting out!"
Some kids said they did similar things at school whilst others said they didn't usually have the opportunity to do this kind of activity.
Overall, it was a lovely afternoon spent in the sun with local kids, getting in those last bits of fun before school starts again.
To find out more about Our Future Beeston's work and to see how you could get involved, check out their Facebook page.
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