Community Forest charity the Forest of Marston Vale are holding a free teddy bears picnic and family event at their Shocott Spring site in Bedford on Sunday 3rd July, and inviting local residents to join in the fun!

A celebration of the Community Woodland, the Forest of Marston Vale team will be running free guided walks throughout the day for grown-ups to find out more about the wildlife on site, and offering games and activities for little ones to get involved. They’ll also be joined by Forest School Leader Shona Perrett from Marston Vale Forest School, who will be offering free play sessions for children to try Forest School activities like den building, sawing and natural crafts.

Community Engagement Office Jo Roberts said:

Whether you’re young or old, getting out into the Forest can be a lot of fun, so we’re inviting local residents in Shortstown, Cotton End and New Cardington to join us for a free afternoon of activities and exploration!

Having a woodland like Shocott nearby for dog walks and daily exercise is great, but it’s really easy to forget about all the other fantastic things that the woodlands do and offer us. We want to help people realise that there is more to woodlands than a convenient walking route, and why having a Community Woodlands on your doorstep is such a huge asset to the local people!”

Visitors are encourages to bring along a picnic to enjoy with their family, but there will also be hot and cold drinks and ice cream available to buy on the day, and toilets available for people spending the afternoon in the woodland.

The event starts at 1pm and finishes at 4pm, with activities running throughout the day. There is no parking on site, so visitors are encouraged to walk, cycle or scoot to the event and enter via the entrance off High Road.

Shocott Spring was planted by the Forest of Marston Vale and members of the local community between 2005 and 2011. The site is 128 acres in total, and is home to the one millionth tree planted in the Forest of Marston Vale.

For more information about the Teddy bears’ picnic and fun in the Forest event visit www.marstonvale.org/events

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