An Andover content creator has turned a simple sticker into a summer-long treasure hunt which saw around £450 worth of cash and treats given away to local children.
Gary Osborne, better known online as Burgers He Wrote, launched his ‘Find The Score’ challenge after his social media videos began attracting the attention of youngsters across the town.
What started with Gary visiting and supporting local businesses while filming point-of-view content using a pair of Ray-Ban Meta glasses soon developed into something much bigger.
As part of his videos, Gary would leave one of his removable ‘Burgers He Wrote’ stickers outside the businesses he visited, describing them as a kind of calling card.
He soon noticed that local children were beginning to recognise the stickers and his logo.
Gary joked that they had become a little like the “Bat Signal” – but the response gave him an idea about how he could use his growing local following to do something positive for young people during the school summer holidays.
Inspired by online treasure hunts where creators hide money for followers to find, Gary decided to create an Andover version specifically aimed at children.
And so, ‘Find The Score’ was born.
Using the Cockney rhyming slang term ‘score’ for £20, Gary began hiding £20 notes behind his stickers at locations around Andover and the surrounding area.
Rather than simply revealing where the money was, each challenge came with three clues which youngsters had to solve before heading out to search for the prize.
Gary said the idea was about far more than giving away money.
As a father himself, he recognised the pressure families can face during the six-week summer break, both in finding activities to keep children occupied and dealing with the cost of days out.
The treasure hunts offered something different – encouraging youngsters to get outside, exercise, solve clues and explore their local area.
They also quickly became a family activity, with parents and children heading out together to try to crack the clues.
Gary said: “Very quickly, this became a lot of fun, and highly anticipated by the kids who wanted to get involved.
“You had kids working together and sharing the prize, families spending time together looking, and a kind of purpose that became an enjoyable experience, even when they didn’t win.”
There was another motivation behind the project too.
Gary believes children can often find themselves judged or labelled negatively and wanted ‘Find The Score’ to instead celebrate their determination, resourcefulness and enthusiasm.
He added: “What if you can show them the type of positivity, kindness and love that is missing from the world, and with that small gesture, what kind of an impact could it have on them, and the others around us too?”
Initially, Gary funded the treasure hunts entirely from his own pocket.
He estimates he personally put around £140 into the project, but as word spread, local residents and businesses began offering their own contributions without being asked.
Around £310 was donated or contributed by supporters, helping the challenge continue throughout the summer holidays.
Those backing the project included Patsy Bonner, Alex Hartland, Lucy O’Grady of Lucy Lock-It, Danny Frendo of DF Mobility, David Hanchant of DH Property Services, Ricky Pyle, Jody Morgan of the Royal Oak Charlton, Rob Saunders-Davis and Charlie Paxton of RS Dryliner & Plasterer, Amanda Parkinson of My Fab Find Emporium, Nick, Kim, Laila and Alissa, James Lloyd of James Recycle King, Bashir Hunt of Rakes & Ladders and Josh Tilley of Rachel’s Driving School.
Go Fudge Yo’ Self also contributed £45 worth of pick ’n’ mix towards the finale.
Some youngsters managed to find the prize twice during the summer, taking home £40, while Gary also experimented with the format. One hunt saw four £10 notes hidden so more children could win, while another featured a £50 prize donated jointly by two supporters.
The summer challenge culminated with a final ‘Find The Score’ just one day before children were due to return to school.
Three businesses each donated £20 for the finale, while Go Fudge Yo’ Self hosted the event and around 50 youngsters were able to enjoy pick ’n’ mix as part of the occasion.
For Gary, the reaction from families has become one of the most rewarding parts of the project.
He said messages from children and parents had at times been “overwhelming”, but stressed that the success belonged to the wider community rather than him alone.
He said: “It’s brought me some inner peace in seeing the joy it’s given to so many, and that’s why I did it after all – not for content, not for self-gratification, purely for the kids.
“I ask myself each day, what can I do to make a difference, whether it’s through kindness, selflessness, or leading by example.
“If I can bring a bit more joy, and even just one person is happier, or smiles, because of something I’ve chosen to do, then my work is done for that day.”
A quote shared with Gary by a friend during the challenge has also come to represent what he hoped the project would achieve: “We’re all just walking each other home” – Ram Dass.
Although ‘Find The Score’ has now finished following the return to school, Gary says the stickers have not been retired for good.
He plans to bring the treasure hunts back during school half-terms and the Christmas holidays – and has even teased the possibility of increasing the stakes with a ‘Find The Pony’, ‘Find The Ton’ or perhaps even a ‘Find The Monkey’.
As for why a simple Burgers He Wrote sticker has captured the imagination of so many local youngsters, Gary believes the answer is simple.
“It’s not just about the stickers, it never was,” he said. “It’s what’s behind it. It’s symbolic, but it turns out there’s also a £20 note.”
Or, as Gary prefers to sign off:
“Your friendly, neighbourhood Burgerman.”