Halloween Xplorer a great success

Halloween Xplorer featured for the first time in Victoria Park Swinton, Salford over the October half term and saw over 300 people attending the orienteering trail.

This special Xplorer event was put on in collaboration between South East Lancashire Orienteering Club (SELOC) and Salford Hive Community Hub, to support the Hive’s fundraising efforts to install heating within the building.

Using the Xplorer Halloween markers and a simplified map the Orienteering course took in all areas of this small park.  In addition, the local dance group EmPowered was also present, dressed up in various Halloween outfits and hiding at various control points to keep everyone on their toes.

Salford Hive Community Hub has recently moved into the park and offers the local community the chance to meet up for a chat, find support, or get involved in one of the many activities they run.  Over the summer the Hub provided free breakfasts for local families in need and provided takeaway food parcels during the October half-term.  The current building is in need of repair and the Hub has launched a fundraising effort to get heating installed so they can provide a place to relax during the winter months.

The Hub provided the focal point and refreshments, SELOC designed the Orienteering trail and local supermarkets provided the sweets for the reward on completion of the trail.

The activity saw over 300 people attend, and with a donation of £1 per child suggested, over £210 was raised towards the fundraising efforts, a fantastic achievement.

Peter Brooke South East Lancashire Orienteering Club Chair, said:  “We saw the great efforts Chantelle the Hub Manager and her volunteer team were doing at the Hub for the local community and wanted to play our part in supporting them.  We approached Chantelle to organise a Halloween event for them and they jumped at the chance.  Together we thought it would be great to have 100 people attending, but to get over 300 was fantastic.”

“Seeing all the families and young children dressed up running around the park was really pleasing.  We added Orienteering kites at each marker and had members of our club on hand offering support for those trying orienteering for the first time.  We’ll be following this up with a Christmas-themed trail in the same park.  The club also has a couple of local park Orienteering events coming up in the next month which we also promoted to highlight further opportunities to enjoy the sport.”