SHOPPERS will be able to put a little birdhouse in their soul, as a national tour makes its nest at Gateshead’s intu Metrocentre.
From 20 September to 16 October, the centre will be home to 15 giant-sized bird boxes, individually decorated by a flock of famous faces, for the last stop on The Big Birdhouse Tour.
The 16-month tour, created by intu, is a nationwide celebration of British wildlife to inspire everyone to give nature a home and raise money for and awareness of the work of the RSPB, Europe’s largest nature conservation charity.
Celebrities such as Steve Backshall, George Clarke, Jo Whiley, Vic Reeves and Rebecca Adlington have each contributed a design, to create a fun, informative and interactive display.
And, along with chance to explore the birdhouses, shoppers will be able to snap up a range of RSPB bird boxes and badges, while children can take part in a special hide and seek trail.
Eight birdhouses will be hidden throughout the centre and, if they spot them all and solve a puzzle, they will each be given a certificate as a memento of the event.
Trevor Pereira, commercial and digital director of intu, said: “This tour is all about creating a buzz around the nature that surrounds us in our own back gardens and countryside. It’s fantastic to have some great celebrities with a genuine passion for British wildlife supporting the tour and inspiring the nation to get involved.”
In 2013, the State of Nature report highlighted that 60 per cent of UK wildlife has declined over recent decades.
Working with intu, the RSPB hopes the interactive tour will highlight the vulnerability of some of Britain’s treasured birds and nature, encouraging individuals, families and communities to take action and protect the future of Britain’s wildlife.
Richard Bashford, RSPB’s Giving Nature a Home Project Manager, said: “The RSPB is working all over the UK to help protect and restore the wild places that our nature depends on for survival.
“But we can’t do it alone – there are certain places that we can’t reach and people’s gardens are one of them. With the help of this project, we want to inspire as many families, friends and communities to come together to make a difference.”
Trail sheets and RSPB Bird boxes and pin badges will be on sale at customer service desks and intu Guest Services.
For more information visit www.intumetrocentre.co.uk.