A Teesside University lecturer has stepped forward to help children celebrate Halloween.
Dr Katy O`Neill came up with the idea of having a special Halloween event called the ‘Pumpkin Trail’.
The ‘Pumpkin Trail’ is being held in Saltburn to help children celebrate Halloween safely.
Instead of knocking on doors youngsters will go around the town following a special ‘Pumpkin Trail ‘map.
Local people have donated sweets for 300 children as they move around the trail.
Dr O’Neill said: “The original idea came from the ‘big Halloween pumpkin trail’ which was actually started by a woman in Sunderland.”
“We need a sense of connection and cultural reference points.”
Click below to find out more about the ‘Pumpkin Trail’.
Halloween is effectively cancelled across the country because of Tier 3 rules banning ‘trick or treating.
So Dr O’Neill, Senior Lecturer in the Psychology department at Teesside University decided to create a safer way to celebrate Halloween.
And with the help of graphic designer Ruth Greenwood, who made and printed the ‘ Pumpkin Trail’ maps, the event came to life.
Over 80 households signed up to take part in the trail.
Local people responded to donating sweets via the Saltburn solidarity food-bank along with local businesses who also set up special windows display.
How does the Pumpkin Trail Will Work?
The children go round the map, available at the Spar store in Milton Street, Saltburn .
Then kids can mark off the displays that they see and then collect their sweets from six community cupboards marked on the map which are dotted around the area.
These were made by local community members from wooden pallets.
Children can help themselves as sanitiser are provided for them to use when they open and take sweets from cupboards.
