The Auchinleck STEP (The Support to Engage Project) team will be marking Fun Palaces weekend by holding a – you guessed it – fun weekend which will include an emoji trail and a stuffed bear competition.

On Saturday, October 2, activities at the The Knowe Garden Centre and The Boswell Centre will bring to life emojis, toys and green issues and engage young people in multiple ways.

The team want to see kids’ favourite teddy bear or stuffed toy so judges can select the best in each category: The Most Loved Teddy, The Oldest Teddy, The Most Unique/Unusual Teddy, The Biggest Teddy and The Most Realistic Teddy.

Whoever wins will be presented with an award. People should drop their toys at The Boswell Centre around 10.30am, with the winners being announced at 12pm.

Stuart Mitchell, Community Events and Youth Co-ordinator, said: “Having met many cute, cuddly animals at Sticky Fingers, we’re keen to meet some more stuffed friends and hear their stores.”

The emoji trail through The Knowe also promises a prize for the most successful navigator. Residents can also partake in rock painting and Ready-Steady-Make challenges at The Boswell Centre.

Fun Palaces is a UK-wide campaign focusing on injecting arts, science, craft and tech back into the community.

The STEP team will be checking in with other events happening across Scotland and will also be live-streaming the event on Fun Palace TV from noon, sharing what they’ve been doing and showing off their challenge entries.

As one of the team’s key themes for this year’s ‘Celebrate Auchinleck’s Creativity’ event is soft toys and emojis they asking people to remind themselves of what it was like to be younger and get in touch with their inner child. The day is scheduled to end at 1pm.