New ‘Binny the Bear’ unveiled in Queen Elizabeth Playground in Thatcham

An exciting new addition has been unveiled at a park in Thatcham.

Trustees, councillors and community groups gathered on Saturday to welcome ‘Binny the Bear’ to the Queen Elizabeth Playground in the Memorial Playing Fields.

The new bear-themed bin replaces the old one, which was destroyed by an act of arson earlier this year.

It was named as part of a competition initiated by the Thatcham Memorial Foundation, which invited scouts and girl guides to contribute a name for the bin.

The winning name, ‘Binny the Bear’, was submitted by Jinyu Xu.

The second-place entry, ‘Bin Bear’, came from Isabelle Benn, while Henry Aldridge’s name, ‘Charlie’, secured third place.

Mayor of Thatcham Suzanne Adamantos said: “I was delighted to be asked to pick and present the young winners with certificates and a novelty mug filled with sweets.”

The Memorial Foundation said it wanted to thank everyone who participated in the competition.