More than 1,000 people attended Bratton Primary School’s ‘pairs’ themed scarecrow trail last month, with visitors travelling from across the county and beyond to participate in the event. The trail featured 40 scarecrows dotted around the village for visitors to spot.
“It was a pleasure watching families strolling around the beautiful village setting enjoying the stunning visual creations,” said one of the organisers from the school, Louise Bunce.
The scarecrows were made by local families, each of the classes at Bratton Primary School including the school Eco Club, Forest School, Little Troopers Club that supports military children, local village groups the Bratton Brass Band, Cygnets Preschool and the Baptist Church, and local companies such as MJ Builders and Newbaginings.
“It was a real collaboration of community coming together,” Louise said. “We have been blown away with the level of artistic talent shown. It’s like the village hosted a pop-up art exhibition with outstanding, colourful sculptures on view.”
“The scarecrows ranged in difficulty, with some being simple to name and others more challenging. There was also a simplified children’s trail for younger children, which consisted of 40 drawings of animals hidden around the village. These pictures were all designed and beautifully hand-drawn by students from Bratton Primary School.
“The scarecrows ranged in difficulty, with some being simple to name and some more testing. We also hosted a more simplified children’s trail for the little ones. Again, consisting of 40 drawings of animals hidden around the village. These pictures were all designed and beautifully hand-drawn by students who attend Bratton Primary School.
“We ran a public vote for the favourite scarecrow over the weekend, with Shrek and Donkey winning, followed by Punch and Judy and Tom and Jerry. The scarecrow makers certainly aimed high with their crafting, and all showed such enthusiasm, artistic flair and humour. Their scarecrows were an absolute pleasure to see on display!
“The amazing Fish & Chips scarecrow creation designed by the talented Bratton Primary School Teaching Assistant Ms Bullen and crafted by all the students in Leopard class was certainly popular at the scarecrow trail. So much so that we were contacted by a gentleman from Salisbury who asked if he could purchase it for his own private art collection! He was blown away with its design and beauty. The students from Leopard class were very pleased to hear that their school-crafted art has been appreciated so highly and will soon have a new home. The new owner of Fish & Chips also made a very generous donation to the scarecrow fundraising pot!”
In addition to the Scarecrow Family Trail and Little One’s Trail organised by the school, fundraising volunteers from the school’s PTA, FOBS, arranged for a selection of stalls and fete activities to enhance the scarecrow event for all.
All money raised from the scarecrow trail sheets and the fete will be spent enhancing the school courtyard.
Louise added, “The courtyard space is a wonderful area for the children to access for class activities, intervention lessons, forest school sessions, free play and lunchtime breakout space. We can’t wait to see it once it’s jazzed up!
“Thank you to everyone who attended the trails and supported the fundraising effort. We really appreciate you visiting the event and contributing to our fundraising mission! We look forward to the next scarecrow adventure in 2025!”
