Hidden Gruffalo stones bring families back to Sutton Park

A Sutton Coldfield artist is hiding hand-painted Gruffalo stones around Sutton Park for children to find, in a bid to bring families back to the park and "amplify the good stuff".

Lizzi Chambers came up with the idea after decorating her son's nursery with a Gruffalo theme. Once the room was finished, she had a few painted stones left over, and knew they could not go to waste.

Bringing people back to the park

Ms Chambers had seen local residents posting on social media that they were avoiding Sutton Park because of concerns about antisocial behaviour. She decided to hide her decorated stones in the park for children to discover, hoping it would give families a reason to visit.

"I thought I might do something nice and then, you know, maybe that'll have the same effect in a different way - just to get people into the park because there's something nice happening there as well, amplifying the good stuff," she told the BBC.

She has been painting and hiding the stones for the past six weeks. After an overwhelmingly positive reaction from the local community, she has kept going, decorating more stones for the park.

One of the country's great parks

Sutton Park covers more than 2,000 acres and is one of the largest urban parks in Europe. It is a National Nature Reserve, with heathland, woodland, wetlands and seven lakes, and has been enjoyed by generations of people from Sutton Coldfield and across Birmingham.

Ideas like hidden painted stones have become popular in parks across the UK in recent years. Children search for them on walks, and families often share pictures of their finds online, encouraging others to come and look too.

Reclaiming a shared space

The best way to make a public space feel safe is often to make sure plenty of people are using it. When families, dog walkers and runners are out and about, a park feels busier, friendlier and more welcoming for everyone.

Ms Chambers' stones are a small gesture, but they give children a reason to explore and parents a reason to head to the park on a weekend morning. Her idea shows how one person's creativity can help change the feel of a place.

Free weekend fun

Families looking for something free to do this weekend could do worse than a walk in Sutton Park with an eye out for a Gruffalo or two. Anyone who finds a stone can enjoy the hunt, and then leave it for the next child to discover.