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Wakefield-based YPO, one of the UK’s largest education buying organisations, has launched a competition for schools as part of Leeds Bear Hunt 2023.

The Leeds Bear Hunt, in support of Leeds Hospitals Charity, will see 35 bears and 50 bear cubs placed in secret locations around Leeds City Centre. 

The YPO bear, ‘Leeds Night Life’ by Cathy Simpson, has been decorated to represent the natural world of Leeds. As part of this design, the YPO bear features multiple drawings of rabbits, which children from across the region are being encouraged to count as part of a YPO competition. 

Children are invited to guess how many rabbits feature on the YPO bear to be included in a prize draw, with winners being awarded £1,000 worth of YPO vouchers for their school.

To coincide with the outdoor-themed design of the bear, entrants will be encouraged to spend the voucher on an outdoor play area for their school or nursery. Runners up will be in with the chance of receiving £250 worth of vouchers. Winners of the YPO competition will be announced on Monday 11 September 2023. 

To enter the competition, people can scan the QR code or enter the bear code on the YPO bear. They will then be taken through to the bear hunt app where they can click a link to submit how many rabbits they spot on the bear. For a bonus entry, people can also submit a photo of the bear and tag YPO on social media, through Instagram, Facebook or Twitter, via the below handles with the hashtag #YPObear.

Instagram – @ypoearlyyears

Facebook – @ypoinfo

Twitter – @ypoinfo

Simon Hill, Managing Director at YPO, said: “It’s fantastic to launch a competition in partnership with Leeds Hospitals Charity and encourage children to get outside and have some fun, whilst also raising awareness for a great cause. We’re looking forward to seeing families getting involved in the competition and providing Yorkshire nurseries and schools with some great prizes.” 

Gail Chapman, Special Projects Fundraising Manager at Leeds Hospitals Charity, added: “We are so grateful for the support of YPO for Leeds Bear Hunt. All the money raised from Leeds Bear Hunt will benefit the poorly children in Leeds Children’s Hospital and we would be unable to put on this fantastic free family art trail without the support of local businesses.” 

YPO is one of the UK’s largest publicly owned buying organisations, supporting the education and public sector to make savings in procurement through the provision of supplier frameworks and resources. 

Leeds Hospitals Charity is the charity for Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, supporting NHS staff to deliver the best care for patients and their families, by raising funds for equipment, services, education and research.  

You can find more details, including full T&Cs, on the competition webpage here.