Artistic and green-fingered children across Wychavon have a new creative challenge during the Covid-19 lockdown, ‘Let’s Spread Some Sunshine' – a colourful competition launched by Wychavon District Council and its waste and recycling partner, FCC Environment.

Delighted by the recent show of support for key workers, the Council and FCC Environment’s joint campaign aims to bring the community even further together.

Children are being encouraged to pick up their pens, pencils, crayons and paints to make more colourful pictures for their local bin and street cleansing crews. In return they will receive sunflower seeds that they can grow to bring a splash of colour and join in with the fun competition during the lockdown.

Over the last couple of weeks, crews from FCC Environment have been overwhelmed by the volume of community kindness it has received as it found warm, handwritten notes and drawings left on their bins by residents and children.

The council is now looking to boost this special sense of community spirit even further with its ‘Let’s Spread Some Sunshine’ campaign.

FCC Environment is supporting the campaign, sharing a drawing for local children to colour in. Alternatively, children can draw their own picture and leave on their bin on the next collection day.

In turn, the bin crew will leave a packet of seeds for the children to grow as part of a community-wide competition to grow the tallest sunflower. The winner with the tallest sunflower will be awarded with a prize by FCC Environment.

FCC Environment’s Contract Manager, Paul Farmer said: “We are delighted to kick off this contest for children and residents of Wychavon.

"For the last month or so, our team has received an overwhelming number of warm messages and good wishes from the community. It is now our turn to share the support during this difficult time.

"We are grateful for this opportunity to engage with the community we work in further and we look forward to seeing the drawings and enjoying the sunflowers.”