A leading estate agency says its involvement in a ‘stomping’ art trail is helping to strengthen its links with the local community.

Ayers & Cruiks is one of the main sponsorship Partners of Herd In The City – a free, family art trail featuring 46 large elephant sculptures and dozens of adorable baby elephants scattered across the streets of Southend-on-Sea, Shoeburyness, and Leigh-on-Sea.

As long-term supporters of Havens Hospices, Ayers & Cruiks has raised a substantial amount since 2006 to fund free, specialist care for local families. One initiative it was involved with was Hares About Town, the charity’s first art trail, in 2021. Steve Ayers, Director of Ayers & Cruiks, says, “When we saw how Hares About Town captured the imagination of Southend-on-Sea, we knew we wanted to be a part of any future art trail.

“Not only is it giving back to our local community, but our involvement in Herd In The City is also a way of bringing together colleagues from across our business. We volunteered our time during the logistics phase of the project. Some employees have arranged a sponsored walk from Southend to Leigh to visit the sculptures along the route.”

Ayers & Cruiks chose ‘Ecophant’ by Anne-Marie Byrne as its sponsored sculpture. Nestled on Church Hill in Leigh-on-Sea, the design highlights some of Asia’s most endangered species. The attention to detail and important message about looking after our ecosystem attracted Steve to choose this stunning design.

The partnership between Ayers & Cruiks and Herd In The City aligns with their long-term commitment to supporting Havens Hospices, a local charity that provides specialist care for families facing complex or incurable conditions.

Steve continues, “The fact that it is raising money for Havens Hospices is especially important to us. For our community, it provides a service for all generations, so if the charity hasn’t already cared for a member of your family or a friend, you know that one day they will if you need them.”

Herd In The City will only grace the streets until Monday 4 September, so locals and tourists alike are encouraged to embark on this unique art adventure soon. There will be one last chance to see all the elephants in one place at the Farewell Weekend on 23-24 September. Ticket details available at www.herdinthe.city/farewell

Following that event, the large sculptures will be auctioned to raise money for the free specialist care that Havens Hospices provides to local adults, children and their families.