Thursday 29 August 2024 saw Cross Flatts Park become the home of a new upcycling event. In the aftermath of the Olympics and the anticipation of the Paralympics, Our Future Beeston held a mini Olympics in the park incorporating themes around reusing and recycling waste materials.
The games consisted of events such as Mascot Making and a Reuse Obstacle course. Different materials that could be reused were brought to the park to wield in the games from cardboard to fabric scraps to recycled bottles and yarn; the kids let their imagination run wild! Some of the items made in our ‘Mascot Making’ section of the event included a giant robot, a bottle buddy and a ‘fridge’ with usable draws among many other amazing creations.
A secondary 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 ways to reuse lots of different materials in a fun, but also practical way, reducing the amount of waste produced through upcycling. Similarly, repurposing and reusing waste materials can help reduce pollution, greenhouse gas emissions and can help protect wildlife and the environment all whilst saving money.
Throughout the two-hour period around twenty-five young people engaged with the activities, with the crafting activities such as the ‘Mascot Making’ seeming most popular. One participant said:
“My favourite part was the crafting and mascot making – I liked the cutting out!”
Overall, it was a lovely afternoon spent in the sun with local kids, getting in those last bits of fun before school starts again.
This post was written by Abi Paterson
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