Shopping centre owner intu has launched Big Bugs On Tour, a national experiential roadshow that brings adults and children face-to-face with 12 giant British bugs at 13 intu shopping centres nationwide.

The initiative is being backed by naturalist Chris Packham and features 12 supersized, indigenous bugs including the honeybee, ladybird, hornet, swallowtail butterfly and the nut weevil. It launched at intu Lakeside last week where it will be on display until the end of July before moving around the UK over the next 15 months, visiting 12 other intu centres around the country including intu Trafford Centre, intu Metrocentre and intu Braehead, between now and September 2019.

Roger Binks, Customer Experience Director for intu, says: “Over 35 million people shop at intu centres every year so we hope bringing them face-to-face with these giant British bugs can make a real impact in how they interact and reconnect with nature, and ensure they are happier than when they arrived.”

The campaign, which into says aims to reconnect kids and adults to nature, comes as research shows children are now better at identifying Pokemon characters than there are at recognising British wildlife, despite a £10m pledge from Government to encourage children to get closer to nature.

Research by intu found that almost four in five parents (78%) want their children to be more connected to nature and 86% think they spend too much time looking at screens. However, one in six children in the UK (17%) have not set foot in a park or forest in the last 12 months.

One in five children (21%) were unable to correctly identify a bee while one in four children (25%) have not seen a caterpillar in over a year. One in ten kids (10%) did not know honey came from bees.

Adults were also lacking in their bug knowledge, with one in four (25%) unable to tell the difference between a bee and a wasp and a quarter (25%) unable to correctly identify a grasshopper.

Over a third of adults (35 per cent) of adults say they see far fewer bugs in their gardens now than five years ago with nearly half (49 per cent) saying they are worried about the decline in insects but didn’t know how to help.

Intu’s Roger Binks adds: “We know that a closer connection to nature makes people happier and Big Bugs on Tour is an opportunity to help educate adults and children on the importance of the bugs in their gardens and put a smile on their faces.”

Naturalist Chris Packham observes: “We are facing a crisis in our countryside. I haven’t seen a single butterfly in my garden this year and more needs to be done to reconnect people with nature and start caring for and realising the importance of the bugs in your backyard. intu’s Big Bugs on Tour is shining a big magnifying glass on this and also putting bugs into school classrooms, and is a fantastic initiative to alert to the importance of nature in our lives.”

In addition to visiting into shopping centres, Big Bugs on Tour will also be inspiring school classes around the country to help children learn more about bugs.

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The latest Change4Life campaign, backed up a by a free app which scans product barcodes and compares ingredients, aims to educate families about the significant amount of sugar children are consuming even before they get to school.

The new push from Public Health England (PHE), the government department behind Change4Life, launched today. Its main message is that children consume half the daily recommended sugar intake before the morning school bell rings.

The campaign urges parents to Be Food Smart and take more control of their children’s diets. The new Be Food Smart app highlights just how much sugar, saturated fat and salt can be found in everyday food and drink that their children consume.

The free app works by scanning the barcode of products allowing parents to compare brands and also features food detective activities for children and mini missions the whole family can enjoy.

The app is an integral part of a campaign that also includes TV, digital and outdoor, plus the distribution of 4.6 million free Be Food Smart packs to primary school aged children and families at local events across England.

PHE says that on average children in England consume more than 11g of sugar at breakfast time alone, almost three sugar cubes. The recommended daily maximum is no more than five cubes of sugar for 4 to 6 year olds and no more than six cubes for 7 to 10 year olds per day. By the end of the day, UK children have on average consumed more than three times these recommendations.

A survey conducted for PHE’s Change4Life campaign found that parents are unsure what makes up a healthy breakfast for their children. Most parents (84%) whose children consume three or more sugar cubes in their breakfast think their child’s breakfast is healthy.

PHE says some of the main sources of sugar at breakfast time include sugary cereals, drinks and spreads. Away from the breakfast table, children are also consuming too much sugar, saturated fat and salt in items such as confectionery, biscuits, muffins, pastries and soft drinks.

Dr Alison Tedstone, chief nutritionist, Public Health England, says: “Children have far too much sugar, and a lot of it is before their first lesson of the day. It’s crucial for children to have a healthy breakfast, but we know the mornings in a busy household can be fraught. That’s why we’ve developed our Be Food Smart App, taking some of the pressure off parents and helping them to choose healthier food and drink options for their children.”

Public Health England exists to protect and improve the nation’s health and wellbeing, and reduce health inequalities. It does this through world-class science, knowledge and intelligence, advocacy, partnerships and the delivery of specialist public health services. PHE is an operationally autonomous executive agency of the Department of Health.

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Coca-Cola has brought back its Designated Driver offer for the eighth year running, giving designated drivers two-for-one on selected soft drinks at participating pubs and bars across the country.

Coca-Cola’s Designated Driver offer is run in partnership with the Department for Transport’s THINK! road safety campaign. The initiative rewards people who are driving to the pub over the festive period by offering a free second soft drink when they purchase a Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Life, Coca-Cola Zero, Diet Coke, or a Schweppes drink, including the newly launched Schweppes Sparkling Juice Drinks. This year Appletiser has also been added to the line-up, providing even more options to choose from.

Coca-Cola has also launched a new online Designated Driver Pub Finder tool (www.holidaysarecoming.com/designateddriver) so partygoers can search for a participating pub near them.

Jon Woods, General Manager, Coca-Cola Great Britain, says: “For the eighth year in a row, designated drivers at pubs across the country will be rewarded with free drinks so that they can celebrate the festive period and help to get their friends and family home safely. This is our way of thanking the unsung heroes of the festive party season, whilst helping make sure the roads are a bit safer for everyone.”

Brigid Simmonds, Chief Executive of the British Beer & Pub Association said: “It’s great to see so many pubgoers embracing the idea of having a designated driver – support from companies like Coca-Cola for the campaign really is making a difference. Being a designated driver doesn’t stop you having a great night out at Christmas. But it does mean that everyone can have a safe journey home.”

Andrew Jones MP, Roads Minister, said: “Drivers know that drink driving is wrong. It can destroy families and ruin lives.  Yet some people at Christmas will still take the risk and get behind the wheel when they shouldn’t. Over the past thirty years drink drive deaths have fallen significantly but every death or serious injury is one too many.  The best way for drivers to keep themselves and other road users safe is simple: don’t drink and drive.”

Coca-Cola has also published new research that suggests Brits are a nation of partygoers with nearly a third (30%) planning to attend three or more Christmas parties in December. Two thirds (64%) admit they will have one too many drinks, with more than a quarter (27%) preparing to deal with at least four festive hangovers.

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