Havens Hospices welcomed more than 1,800 visitors at the weekend to bid a fond farewell to the Herd that made Southend-on-Sea their home over the summer.
On Saturday 23rd and Sunday 24th September, fans of the art trail stomped over to Saxon Hall to see all 118 elephant sculptures together in one place before they pack up their trunks and leave for their forever homes. The large elephant sculptures are being auctioned off on the evening of Tuesday 26th September to raise vital funds for Havens Hospices.
The Farewell Weekend alone raised more than £17,000 for the local 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.
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 on Tuesday 26th September and how to bid online, by telephone or in the room, visit www.herdinthe.city/auction.
Published: Monday 25th September 2023
