Wicky Bear Wins Lifetime Achievement Award at Wicksteed Park

There’s a familiar face at Wicksteed Park who’s been putting smiles on kids’ faces for longer than most of us can remember.

Wicky Bear, the beloved mascot who has welcomed generations of Northamptonshire families through the gates of the Kettering theme park, has just been presented with a lifetime achievement award by the Mayor of Kettering to mark 25 years on the job. If your little ones have ever had their photo taken with him, joined in one of his shows, or spotted him wandering round the park during a day out, you’ll know exactly why this milestone is such a big deal locally.

Here’s the full story, straight from Wicksteed Park:

Wicksteed Park’s Wicky Bear mascot receives lifetime achievement award to mark 25 years of bringing joy to visitors

A theme park mascot who has entertained millions of visitors to Wicksteed Park, Kettering, has been presented with a lifetime achievement award to mark 25 years of putting smiles on children’s faces.

Wicky Bear is one of the longest serving mascots in the UK and was famously recreated out of meringue by comedian James Acaster on Channel 4’s The Great Celebrity Bake Off in 2019.

For a quarter of a century he has welcomed visitors, posed for photos, taken part in events – and even performed in his own children’s shows in the park theatre.

Other highlights include helping another famous bear, Pudsey, raise money for Children In Need and posing with the FA Cup when non-league Kettering Town FC reached the second round in 2024.

But it was for services to family fun and to Kettering as a whole, where he is a legend among generations of families, that he received his lifetime achievement award from Kettering mayor Cllr Lauren Glanfield.

The plaque, which will be on permanent display in the park’s reception, was unveiled during a day of free activities at the park for national Playday, the annual UK-wide celebration of play which is held on the first Wednesday in August each year.

“I would like to thank Wicky Bear for all his hard work spreading joy in Kettering. Wicky Bear has a fun-filled personality and brings a sense of happiness to any occasion he attends! I loved dancing with him at Kettfest, he’s an awesome dancer!

“Congratulations on your 25 years lifetime achievement award – here’s to another 25!”

Cllr Lauren Glanfield, Mayor of Kettering

The plaque reads: Lifetime Achievement Award: Presented to Wicky Bear by the Mayor of Kettering to commemorate 25 years of bringing joy and laughter to Wicksteed Park. 5th August, 2026.

“Although we believe that Wicky Bear may have been first sighted around the park in 2000, our records show that he didn’t actually become a regular until the following year.

“He’s had a few makeovers and glow-ups over the years but one thing is undeniable and that is the joy he brings to our visitors and the way children’s faces light up with excitement when they see him.

“Although he can’t speak obviously, because he is a bear, we can see he is extremely happy with this award, which is well deserved, as he is a true legend, both at the park and beyond.”

Kelly Richardson, Wicksteed Park Director

Wicksteed Park combines a 281-acre estate including beautiful, listed parkland with more than 25 rides and attractions for all the family.

Those rides and attractions are now open every weekend, bank holiday and school holiday until the first week in October.

They include the iconic water chute, which has just celebrated its 100th birthday.

Family favourites also include Dinosaur Valley rollercoaster, Jolly Jockeys, Wicky’s Farmyard and the Railway, along with the Carousel, Sway Rider and Pig n’ Putt Crazy Golf.

After listening to feedback from visitors, the price of on-day wristbands purchased at the park has been reduced from £25 to £19.25 (£22 from September 2), to match the online purchase price.

Children under 0.9m get to experience the joy of Wicksteed Park for FREE with an accompanying paying adult.

The park has been praised for providing a highly enjoyable and memorable family day out in an assessment by national tourist board VisitEngland.

Awarding the Kettering park a score of 84%, VisitEngland said the attraction remains a well-established and much-loved visitor attraction, offering an excellent balance of traditional family entertainment, expansive green space, and historical significance.

For further information on all the above, go to wicksteedpark.org

Whether you’ve been visiting Wicksteed Park for years or you’re planning your first trip, this is a nice reminder of just how much history is packed into a day out there. With the reduced wristband pricing now in place and rides open right through to early October, it’s well worth adding to your list for the rest of the summer holidays. It’s also one of the days out I always point families towards when they ask me for reliable, tried-and-tested options in Kettering — you can find more ideas like this in my guide to things to do in Northamptonshire for families.

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The events listed in this guide are run by third-party organisers, and all details were correct at the time of publication, based on information from their official websites. However, changes or cancellations can happen at short notice. To avoid any disappointment, we recommend double-checking the event information on the official websites before making plans.