Havens hospices welcomed more than 1,800 visitors at the weekend to bid a fond farewell to the Herd that made Southend their home over the summer.
Fans of the Herd in the City art trail visited Saxon Hall on Saturday and Sunday (September 23 and 24) to see all 118 elephant sculptures together in one place before they pack up their trunks and leave for their forever homes.
All photos were taken by Sean Buckley
The large elephant sculptures are being auctioned off tomorrow (September 26) to raise vital funds for Havens hospices.
The Farewell Weekend alone raised more than £17,000 for the south Essex charity, which provides specialist care and support for children, young people, and adults living with incurable conditions, so they have a place to turn to and make the most of every day of their lives.
READ MORE:
- Bargain Hunt and Flog It star to host Herd in the City auction in Southend
- ‘Thrilled’: Fundraising total exceeds £100k as elephants stomp out of Southend
Abbey Parsons, events fundraiser at Havens Hospices said: “Herd In The City has brought so much joy to thousands of people over the summer so it was amazing to see our community back together to say one final goodbye to these beautiful elephants.
“Thank you to every single person who supported the event including our partners, sponsors, volunteers, and artists, and helped us celebrate the end of a wonderful summer of art, creativity, community, and fundraising, all in support of a local cause close to the hearts of so many people in the local area. Without you, none of this would have been possible.
“Everyone deserves the best possible care and support towards the end of their life. Without fundraising events like Herd In The City we wouldn’t be able to continue providing our specialist care and support to those who need us during the most difficult times. We cannot thank everybody enough, and we hope to see some of you bidding at our auction either in person or online to give one or more of these sculptures a forever home, a lasting legacy of the trail.”
To find out more about the Herd In The City auction and how to bid online, by telephone or in the room, visit www.herdinthe.city/auction.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel