Some Unusual Ealing Locals Spotted Outdoors

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Just before the schools reopen a creative opportunity to get active

NHEHS Scarecrow Norman

The pandemic and the various lockdowns over the last year have undoubtedly caused anxiety with the ''stay at home'' message looming large.
Whilst outdoor exercise has always been permitted, many people have been deterred and youngsters often need a bit more encouragement to put the game controls down and go for a stroll.

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Morven and her scarecrow Speedy Sarah

But an Ealing teenager has come up with a creative idea to help get them and more people out and about locally.
13 year old Morven Pearce, a year 8 student from Notting Hill and Ealing High School GDST is a young ambassador for The Willow Tree School Sports Partnership.
The scheme helps pupils develop skills which will enable them to become leaders and then motivate others to become more physically active. Morven came up with the idea of The Scarecrow Stroll - a walking trail around Ealing which is taking place now, just before the schools are due to reopen (1-7th March).

Stretchy Scarecrow

She said: " My family and I often go to small villages in the countryside where they sometimes would have a variation of a Scarecrow Stroll. I have seen flower pot creations, people made out of recycling and, of course, scarecrows. I believe that having these around the village or, in fact, Ealing gives a real sense of community and I really like that. I want people to have fun making and creating scarecrows, give people something to talk about and do something different on their daily walk.''

The school is providing prizes for the best creations as well as to whoever finds the most scarecrows.

Headteacher, Matthew Shoults said; “Morven's Scarecrow Walk is a fantastic example of how we encourage our girls to develop an idea and make it happen. Enabling our girls to develop their leadership skills and allowing their creativity to produce imaginative ideas while also maintaining a focus on the wider community is at the heart of everything we do here at Notting Hill & Ealing High School. I’m very proud of Morven – this is an excellent and fun idea and I will be cycling through the trail this week”.

Morven and Ishita with Kool Kate

There are 29 different scarecrows to be spotted, all with individual sporty themed names ( eg. Stretchy Scarecrow, Speedy Scarecrow, Darcy the Strictly Scarecrow). They can be found mostly around the W5 and Pitshanger area but on the map here it seems the scarecrows have made their way as far as Alperton and South Ealing.

Whilst it was primarily aimed at pupils from the school many more people are now taking part and enjoying strolling round Ealing and saying hello to some of the more unusual locals.

Rachel the organiser from the Willow Tree Ambassador Programme said:

'' I just wanted to pass on my thanks to all of your Young Ambassadors. They have provided some excellent work for each of the tasks and it is great to have such enthusiastic students with so many fabulous ideas. Particular mention should go to Morven and her Sporty Scarecrow Stroll. This is an amazing activity and I, along with my colleagues at WTSSP, are so impressed with her idea and the fact that she has gone way beyond the requirements and allowed anyone in the area to be involved.''

 

It's met with many positive responses with the map having been viewed over 1,250 times over the first few days.

You can register a new scarecrow or get a copy of the map
email:scarecrow.stroll.2021@outlook.com

It's not too late to take part, you can join the stroll until Sunday 7th March 7pm.

 

 

Annemarie Flanagan

 

3 March 2021