Portsmouth key workers to be celebrated in charity's first urban scarecrow festival

SCARECROWS dressed up as police officers, teachers, rubbish collectors and NHS staff are set to pop up throughout the city for a fun competition.
Belinda Dickins
By Belinda Dickins
Published 2nd Sep 2020, 14:36 BST
Updated 3rd Sep 2020, 11:41 BST

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Make is holding its first ever urban scarecrow festival to honour key workers in Portsmouth. Pictured: Molly Bailey and Daniel Donovan, who are training in retail and catering with Make, with a scarecrow designed to thank police officersMake is holding its first ever urban scarecrow festival to honour key workers in Portsmouth. Pictured: Molly Bailey and Daniel Donovan, who are training in retail and catering with Make, with a scarecrow designed to thank police officers
Make is holding its first ever urban scarecrow festival to honour key workers in Portsmouth. Pictured: Molly Bailey and Daniel Donovan, who are training in retail and catering with Make, with a scarecrow designed to thank police officers

Creative people across Portsmouth are being encouraged to join in with the first Great Make Portsmouth Urban Scarecrow Festival, with the theme of each design to be key workers.

Behind the event is Make, a social enterprise run by Aldingbourne Trust which has an art space, shop and cafe and trains adults with learning disabilities or autism in retail and catering as well as independent living and confidence skills.

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The festival will take place on September 19, with all scarecrows to be on display outside the maker’s home, window or shop window by 9am on the day to be in with a chance of winning a prize judged by Lord Mayor of Portsmouth Rob Wood.

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Sarah Mitas, manager at Make, said: ‘We are very much a community hub and hold regular events encouraging the local community to get together. We have regular groups held here for families, the socially isolated, and adults with learning disabilities.

‘We have really missed our events and groups throughout the Covid-19 pandemic and wanted to do something to pull the Portsmouth community together.

‘So we looked into an outdoor event which would encourage exercise and make people smile, hence the urban scarecrow event. The theme is key workers to honour the amazing work which has been done throughout the city.’

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There is no cost to enter, participants just need to register with Make so the organisers can log where in the city scarecrows will be displayed, to be judged in categories such as funniest, best outfit, most lifelike and more.

SEE ALSO: Portsmouth 100-year-old Rita enjoys a socially-distanced milestone birthday

The event's rules include not creating offensive scarecrows, and making sure to socially distance and stay safe when looking around at the creations.

Make has some packs available at a small donation to the charity about how to make a scarecrow for anyone who needs tips.

Sarah added: ‘We would love to see as many of the Portsmouth community involved showing off their creations.’

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Visit facebook.com/groups/1515021095403847 for more information about getting involved.

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Related topics:PortsmouthAldingbourne TrustNHSLord Mayor

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