AN audio tour created by a teenager from Emersons Green as part of work towards a Duke of Edinburgh Award has become a permanent attraction.
Lenni Langreiter created the Emersons Green Audio Tour to help people discover more about the fascinating places on their doorsteps.
With help from dad Marcus and support from local historians, South Gloucestershire Council, Emersons Green Town Council and Staple Hill & Mangotsfield Parish Council, he created a 3.7-mile route with 14 points of local interest, from relics of the area’s mining and chocolate-making heritage to giant earth sculptures.
Lenni was 15 when he devised the tour last year to give families a summer holiday activity, providing exercise and a chance to learn more about the places they pass every day.
Starting outside Emersons Green Library, the 90-minute circular route includes commentary and interviews that people can hear by scanning QR codes with a smartphone.
The codes were put on signs placed along the walking route, which covers Emersons Green Park, Mangotsfield, Rodway Common, Mangotsfield Station, Pomphrey Hill, The Dramway and cycle path.
It initially ran between July and September last year, as a temporary project to help Lenni fulfil the volunteering requirement of his DofE award. He said it had been a “challenge” to secure a six-month volunteering placement, so he came up with his own.
Lenni and his family funded the project, and set up an online donation page for walkers or sponsors to help towards the costs.
After the summer ended and the money to host the website ran out, Lenni and Marcus asked the town council if it wanted to take on the tour permanently.
The council’s finance committee discussed the idea and agreed a budget of just under £1,200 to add it to its own website and make permanent signs.
Marcus updated the audio, and the tour is now available via the council’s website, at audio.emersonsgreen-tc.gov.uk.
Town council environmental services manager Paul Kearsley said: “We were all very happy with the final product and hopefully it’s something that Lenni can be proud of for many years to come.”
Marcus said: “It can be hard for young people to find meaningful volunteering for the Duke of Edinburgh Award, so last year Lenni created his own project.
“What started as a three-stop audio tour evolved into a 14-stop summer trail, featuring local experts and immersive soundscapes.
“After fantastic feedback, we were delighted to see the Emersons Green Audio Tour preserved in the South Gloucestershire Council Archives and adopted by Emersons Green Town Council as a permanent walking trail.
“Thank you to everyone who supported Lenni’s volunteering.
“It’s wonderful to see residents scanning the new signs and listening to our area’s fascinating historic tales.”