THE WARWICKSHIRE bear has donned his shades for his new role as an emblem for the Child Friendly Warwickshire programme.
The mascot has been given a makeover following a public vote across Warwickshire. Nearly 40 per cent of around 900 voters chose the ‘cool bear’ wearing shades as the new logo for the programme, which aims to make Warwickshire ‘a great place for children and young people to live, learn and grow’.
The vote was between three different looking bears – including two pairs of big and little bears with one holding a balloon. The designs were shortlisted by Warwickshire’s Youth Council and inspired by feedback from a survey of children and young people earlier this year.
The icon marks the start of the Child Friendly Warwickshire scheme which aims to bring together businesses, community groups and public services to improve opportunities for young residents. It is an open invitation to organisations of all kinds to ensure Warwickshire is a safe and welcoming place.
Warwickshire County Council’s children’s services spokesman Jeff Morgan said: “The people of the county have spoken, and I am delighted by their choice and the Warwickshire bear’s ‘cool’ new look. This is the first step in creating a visual identity for Child Friendly Warwickshire to help us engage with organisations across the county to ensure the voices of children and young people are heard and that their futures are as bright as possible.
“Child Friendly Warwickshire is being put on the map and I look forward to seeing what the programme has in store next to ensure Warwickshire is the best place to grow up in.”
The programme is also working on a new website and social media channels to share young people’s voices and to engage with businesses and community groups.
