Ealing Writing Trail

The environment

The Ealing Writing Trail comprised of a scavenger hunt in and around Ealing Broadway. Given that all the locations were within walking distance, such an activity represents an environmentally friendly way of motivating people to engage in an interactive game that can involve walking, running, or even cycling ( no cars needed).

The local economy

The Ealing writing trail had both direct and indirect benefits for the economy; where local businesses, i.e. those in retail, dining etc. benefited from additional visitors to Ealing. Examples include (but are not limited to): • All visitors attending the writing workshops in Ealing also visited coffee shops and / or places of dining for the purpose of purchasing beverages / food to eat either before or after attending an in-person writing workshop. • Those who participated in the scavenger hunt also shopped and / or dined in Ealing. This is evident in the reviews – please see the Ealing Writing Trail website or Instagram received as well as the pictures that participants shared with us. Thus, the Ealing Writing Trail met its objective by facilitating an opportunity for visitors to explore other attractions in Ealing such as shops and restaurants as well as taking part in the scavenger hunt. With all that Ealing has to offer, the Trail provided people with a chance to make the most out of their day in Ealing, which included shopping, visiting coffee shops, eating at restaurants and more. News of the Ealing Writing Trail encouraged some local businesses to provide incentives for those interested in taking part in the scavenger hunt. In this way, local businesses were not only generous in their contributions, but this further attracted people to Ealing. Examples include (but are not limited to): • Café Zee offered vouchers as prizes for those taking part in the scavenger hunt. Winners of these vouchers enjoyed dining at Café Zee and decided to visit again therefore demonstrating that this culminated in repeat customers. • Another winner won a free yoga massage at Triyoga. They were so pleased with the service they received that they booked additional sessions which culminated in Triyoga gaining an additional paying client. Another outcome is how the trail also attracted communities from neighbouring towns, i.e. Acton, Greenford, Perivale, Hanwell, West Ealing, Southall, and beyond. Our survey results show: • 69% of the writing workshop attendees were from the Borough of Ealing • 24% of the attendees came from other parts of London; and • 7% were living outside London.

Volunteering, jobs & education

Creative trails encourage volunteering as it enables individuals and / or groups to come together to be part of a community. A few volunteers assisted in the set up and arrangement of the scavenger hunt as well as the writing workshops. The Ealing Writing Trail created jobs for: • Writing practitioners / freelancers who were given the opportunity to facilitate writing workshops; • Students who assisted in the design of social media content as well as other promotional materials for the event, i.e. posters, banners, outdoor floor stickers etc. and • Freelancers who assisted with the design and delivery of the website The scavenger hunt was both educational and fun, and created a rich, memorable, learning experience for all those involved. Further to this, the clues enabled participants to widen their knowledge about the diverse and creative artists that Britain has to offer. The trail also enabled individuals to enhance their skills such as memorization, team-work, and reading as well as providing people with a sense of accomplishment at completing a task. Writing creatively is an excellent vehicle for improving one’s English and literacy skills. Thus, the writing workshops attracted people who were interested in being educated more about areas of wellbeing, as well as creative writing (i.e. poetry, writing fiction etc.) The participants came from all walks of life, including social prescribers, educators, those working in areas of wellbeing, and those engaged in home schooling. Such instances also enabled individuals to learn about other existing organisations and an opportunity to network and be part of a larger community. Further to this, two GPs from the Borough of Ealing and Ealing IAPT volunteered some of their time during Mental Health Awareness Week to host a wellbeing workshop. By volunteering their time, those who attended learned more about mental health and the type of help and support that is available to them in the Borough. This ‘bonus’ event facilitated a safe and supportive environment; where people received education in areas of mental health that they were not so well versed in prior to this event.

Arts, culture & heritage

The QR codes used for the scavenger hunt were placed at sites in and around Ealing Broadway, i.e. Pitzhanger Gallery, Questers Theatre, Film-works, and OPEN Ealing Arts Centre at Dickens Yard – locations which in themselves support the arts, culture, and heritage. Those participating in the scavenger hunt visited such locations and had the opportunity to learn more about them (as also evident in the reviews we received). Further, the scavenger hunt clues consisted of words which promote creativity and wellbeing; thus placing emphasis on how creativity is essential for our wellbeing. It also encourages ALL to engage with the environment that highlights, that for any area to thrive, the arts, culture, and heritage are crucial to the landscape. Ealing boasts of a rich culture; as evident with the annual Ealing BEAT Art Trail, the several music festivals that have taken place over the years, and the presence of the infamous Ealing Studios. While Lewisham currently holds the title for London Borough of Culture and Croydon will do so in 2023, Ealing too is a strong contender for this title and a writing trail promoting creativity and wellbeing, we feel is a complimentary addition to the exciting things that Ealing has to offer. The survey results (from those who took part in the writing workshops) show that 80% of our respondents would be very likely to recommend the Ealing Writing Trail to someone else; and 18% said they would be likely to recommend the Ealing Writing Trail to someone else. As the statistics show, the feedback regarding the Ealing Writing Trail has been overwhelmingly positive. The writing workshops encouraged participants to be creative and expressive, and such instances celebrated the arts, i.e. literary influences, poetry, fiction, books etc. The survey results showed that people benefited strongly from the art of writing: • 96% participants reported to have learned new skills • 97% participants reported to feel more confident to write on their own • 96% participants reported to feel motivated to keep writing • 98% reported to feel motivated to join more writing workshops.

Activity, health and leisure

The scavenger hunt was located in and around Ealing Broadway; with each clue placed within walking distance to the next clue. The purpose of this was to encourage people to walk and interact with the local area thus promoting a physical activity that can be enjoyed at a leisurely pace and without any pressure. The writing trail was also designed in a way that meant participants were not pressured to complete the scavenger hunt in one go, but rather could come back to it at another time/day. It is for this reason, that participants had one month in which to complete it in if they so wished. This level of participation works well in a multitude of ways, i.e. for those individuals/groups taking a mid-afternoon break at lunch from work or are passing by Ealing briefly with other things to do, such as shopping and dining within close quarters. It worked particularly well as a weekday or weekend game amongst family and friends as a leisure activity. This fun and engaging scavenger hunt promoted health and wellbeing as it encouraged mental and physical activity all in one activity. It was also a fun way of encouraging people to get their daily recommended 10,000 steps if desired.