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A new interactive story trail for kids is coming to Platt Fields Park next week

It's one of 12 trails launching as part of the Hungry Little Minds campaign.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 29th June 2021

A brand new interactive story trail is coming to Platt Fields Park next week.

The trail – which is based on a story about elves in the Fallowfield park written by children’s author Rebecca Lewis-Oakes and illustrated by Aaron Cushley – is organised and delivered by the National Literacy Trust.

It’s one of 12 story trails launching across the country next week as part of the Hungry Little Minds campaign.

The campaign provides families of children under five with lots of simple and fun activities to easily slot into their daily routines, all whilst building their child’s speech and language skills at home. 

“This story trail is yet another wonderful activity which brings learning to life in pre-school children in a fun and exciting way,” said Councillor Rabnawaz Akbar.

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“There is also the added benefit of being in the great outdoors allowing children to be free as well as getting a daily dose of exercise in one of our stunning parks and is sure to be a winner with families across the city.”

The trail will be led by park ranger Mary Clements, who will guide families around the park as they follow the adventures of Uncle Josh, Mia, Kai and their dog Scruffy – all while aiding language and literacy development by filling out an activity booklet along the way.

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There will also be an elf garden and elf-making activities to get involved with, and everyone will walk away with a free book thanks to Read Manchester’s Look for a Book partnership.

Writer Rebecca Lewis-Oakes said she is “absolutely thrilled” to be working with the National Literacy Trust and local partners in Manchester on this project.

She said: “It has been a pleasure to discover so many beautiful parks across the country and view them through the exuberant imagination of pre-schoolers [and] I hope this Hungry Little Minds story trail encourages families to explore and enjoy Platt Fields Park, with a gentle underlying prompt toward those key Early Years learning concepts.

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“I look forward to seeing the little one’s reactions as they make their way around the magical trail.”

The Hungry Little Minds trail is aimed at children between the ages of two and five / Credit: iStockPhoto

Hungry Little Minds’ Programme Manager Ella Burns added: “These story trails are perfect for families with young children to enjoy throughout the summer months, helping children develop their literacy skills, whilst enjoying a fun and free outdoors adventure.”

The story trail launches on Monday 5 July, with the first session starting at 10am and the second taking place at 1pm.

You can find more information about the trail by checking out Read Manchester here.

Featured Image – Unsplash

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A huge free festival is coming to Kampus with frozen margaritas and canal-side pizza

Georgina Pellant Georgina Pellant

A huge free festival is coming to Kampus over the Glastonbury weekend, bringing the party vibes to the heart of the city centre.

Promising canal-side pizza from NY slice bar Nell’s, also famed for their 22″ pies, plus a prosecco van, a cocktail pop-up from Manchester Gin’s Three Little Words in the Bungalow and loads more, it’s set to run from Friday 23 to Sunday 25 June 2023.

With huge outdoor screens in amongst the lush Kampus gardens broadcasting Glastonbury’s sets live throughout the weekend, the party will kick off on Friday with pizza slices and cocktails from Kampus’s waterside spritz bar.

Saturday will take things up a notch with live music from Manchester’s talented The Untold Orchestra, who will celebrate 40 years of Glastonbury headliners with their own orchestral renditions of classics from Bowie to Jay Z and Diana Ross.

Sunday will end on a quieter note, promising a day of family fun with Born To Be Wild Child decamping to the garden with craft tables and festival headband making, all set to the soundtrack of rock and roll hits.

There will also be free prosecco samples from the Delevigne sisters’ brand Della Vite, served direct from their pink vintage car ‘Penelope’.

Image: Nell’s at Kampus
Image: Nell’s at Kampus

Speaking on the upcoming festival Antonia Lallement, from Nell’s, said: “This is our first Kampus Fest and it’s all about bringing true festival vibes to the heart of Manchester.

“We’re decking out the Kampus garden to capture the bohemian magic of the UK’s favourite live events and flooding the space with music for the whole weekend.

Read more: First look inside Gordon Ramsay’s new Manchester restaurant Lucky Cat

“Manchester is full of music lovers and we want to give people a fun, city centre alternative to the real thing! We’ll be serving up slices to keep people going throughout the weekend and can’t wait to see people getting involved. 

“Kampus has got to be one of the best outdoor spaces in the city. We felt it only right to put on a big summer block party come rain or shine.”

Abbie Duthie, from Three Little Words, added: “Glastonbury is an icon of the cultural calendar and we’re beyond excited to be staging Kampus Fest, bringing all the highs of the festival experience to Manchester, minus the mud of course.

Read more: You can get half-price fish and chips for just £3.49 at all Morrisons cafes today

“We’ll be serving our signature drinks canal-side for those whose ‘go to’ is summer spritzes and cocktails in the city over warm beer in a field! Kampus will be alive all weekend with great food and drinks, live music and festival vibes taking centre stage.”

Kampus Fest is free to attend from Friday 23 June – Sunday 25 June.

The Family Fun Day event on Sunday for youngsters requires reservation, with £2 tickets available to book in advance here.

Featured image – Kampus

What's On

Chester Zoo calls for runners to take on new charity 10k to help ‘save endangered animals’

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

Chester Zoo is calling for thousands of runners to take on a charity 10k through the zoo’s grounds in a bid to help save one of its many endangered species.

The UK’s biggest charity zoo is looking for 2,500 runners of all abilities to sign up for its brand-new ‘Run for Nature‘ later this year – which begins inside the zoo’s 128-acre grounds, and sees participants race past the elephant, giant otter, and giraffe habitats, all before heading out and around the wider countryside estate.

As well as the 10k route, there’s also a special one-mile ‘zoom’ fun run around the zoo, which is perfect for energetic kids under 12.

All runners will get a medal when they cross the finish line, and there’ll even be some exciting prizes up for grabs for those who raise the most money.

Chester Zoo calls for runners to take on new charity 10k through its grounds and beyond / Credit: Chester Zoo

Taking place on Sunday 24 September, all funds raised from the run will go towards the Chester Zoo’s ongoing and extremely-important efforts to find a vaccine for a deadly virus that threatens endangered elephant populations all across the world – which is known as Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus (EEHV).

Scientists at the zoo are currently in the middle of the world’s first vaccine pilot study to fight the virus, and hope that proceeds raised from the upcoming events can help “create a future where Asian elephants survive and thrive.”

“We’re so excited to be able to offer places for 2,500 fundraisers to run our first ever 10k Run for Nature later this year,” explained Hannah Wright, Fundraising Lead at Chester Zoo.

Runners will raise money to help the zoo’s efforts to save endangered Asian elephants / Credit: Chester Zoo

“As a charity, fundraising is at the core of this event, but we also hope that it’s a great fun event that the whole family can get involved in – whether running, supporting or sponsoring.

“All participants will be receive a sustainable medal and top fundraisers will have the opportunity to win a variety of prizes, which include annual memberships, animal experiences, and meal vouchers for our gastro pub, The Oakfield, as well as a selection of animal adoptions.”

Read more:

Reckon you’re up to the challenge then? You can sign up to the 10k Race for Nature, or the one mile Zoom run for children, on the Chester Zoo website.

Stick your name down here.

Featured Image – Chester Zoo

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