TODDLERS got messy to help Reading businesses win a Britain in Bloom award.

The town has been nominated as one of four towns in the running for a business improvement district category.

It hopes to boost efforts with the help of the youngsters at the Jelly Tots Club and the Messy Club by getting them to recreate the Maiwand Lion to peer out of the display windows of Jackson’s department store.

The lion is at the centre of a jungle scene and inspired by the plants of Britain in Bloom.

Bobby Lonergan, the business improvement district manager for Reading CIC, helped to run the event.

He said: “Businesses have been funding flowers all around the town. There are around 400 hanging baskets and other floral arrangements around Reading, with businesses helping by sponsoring them.”

The youngsters, from babies all the way up to seven-year-olds, have been following a jungle theme, making animal masks, flowers and items for the displays in Jackson’s windows.

Suzanne Stallard, 47, one of the events organisers, said: “It’s incredible what a group of toddlers can do.

“It’s fantastic to do the idea, and it’s great to use the old department store.

“We’re going to be celebrating all the children’s hard work with a small party.”

 

Reading Chronicle:

The Messy Club, who were also at the event, is a service for children with special needs who are less than five years old and unable to go out to play.

They go to their houses and let them play to their heart’s content, with no need to worry about the mess they cause.

That’s because the head of Messy Club, Luisa Garcia, is on hand to help. “Sometimes I spend up to an hour cleaning up the mess after the play sessions. My next investment will be a vacuum cleaner to make life a bit easier when cleaning up!”

She started the Messy Club with her three-year-old daughter Emmy, who herself has special needs.

She continued: “The children love the events and we’ll soon be starting a separate event called Messy Music on August 12, where the same children can go and have fun at Whitehouse studios in Reading.

“They can play about with drum kits and other instruments as much as they like.”