Column by Rachael Hunt, South Gloucestershire Council's cabinet member for communities and local place.

Have you spotted any of our 16 bright and beautiful bees that buzzed on to our High Streets and community spaces last weekend? They form our summer Bee Trail Challenge: inviting you to ‘collect’ two per high street by taking a selfie with each one and submitting them to our website for a chance to win £150 of vouchers to spend with our wonderful independent retailers.

Why are we doing this? Ultimately, the challenge is about supporting our high streets to thrive. They were already changing before the pandemic. Covid-19 has accelerated that change and we are supporting them in that reinvention.

We wanted a fun activity for the summer holidays that would encourage not just local people but visitors to discover - or rediscover - just what our high streets have to offer.

Shopping is part of the picture, and we have a wonderful range of outlets selling pretty much everything you could possibly need, from a ball of wool to a lizard! During the pandemic, when travel was curtailed, people increasingly discovered what was on their doorstep and we want to encourage you to continue to ‘bee local’, whether that’s meeting up with family and friends or getting out in the fresh air in our lovely open spaces.

The different high street uses all reinforce each other. For example, a family may take out books at the library, visit a café for lunch, buy hardware items for a DIY project, and finish their trip at the local play park.

Everyone at the council is proud that we are funding the bee trail challenge. I am really grateful to the local artists who have contributed their time and effort to make each one so very different and eye catching.

So, I’d like to ask all Gazette readers to please participate in the Bee Trail. Take the opportunity to explore the wonderful changes taking place on our high streets, driven by the dedication and enthusiasm of our traders. For more information about where the bees are and how you can take part, visit beta.southglos.gov.uk/bee-a-winner-on-our-high-street-trail

Good luck!