Leading UK building products manufacturer Forterra has constructed 45 plinths in support of Havens Hospices’ art trail, Herd In The City, a spectacular public art event taking place from Friday 14th July to Monday 4th September in Southend-on-Sea.
The elephants are getting ready to march
Havens Hospices provides palliative nursing and supportive care to adults and children living with complex or incurable conditions across Essex.
Herd In The City is a collaborative event organised by Havens Hospices and Wild in Art to raise awareness of the organisation. As part of the campaign, over 45 individually designed elephant sculptures will be making their way to Southend-on-Sea to form a world-class, completely free art trail across the city’s streets, parks and public spaces.
At the end of the trail, the elephants will be auctioned off to raise vital funds for Havens Hospices, which will go towards improving the various facilities and services they provide
This year, Forterra has designed 45 plinths onto which the elephant sculptures will be mounted before they are set up along the trail. Constructed at Forterra’s Hoveringham factory in Nottinghamshire, the plinths are composed of the manufacturer’s classic design-mix amended to the sculpture specifications.
Combining a diverse array of colour schemes and design patterns to add colour and life to the Southend-on-Sea cityscape, the elephants pay homage to the wonderful work of Havens Hospices.
“We’re delighted to get involved in this event,” said Caroline Wildman, Marketing Director at Forterra. “We were involved with the previous Havens Hospices event, Hare In The City, in 2022, and we’re proud to be able to support once more.
“At Forterra, we’re dedicated to supporting the wider community with projects such as this. The collaborative effort of all involved has been truly inspiring, and we cannot wait to see the finished plinths installed.”
The event’s 3D elephant sculptures were chosen because elephants depict many of the values of hospice care – they never forget, much like the families making treasured memories together and saying goodbye to loved ones at Havens Hospices. They are also sensitive, caring and nurturing, much like the Care Teams who work tirelessly, ‘making every day count’ for the hospice’s patients and families.
Lauren Eagle-Allen, Senior Projects Officer for Havens Hospices, said: “We are so excited at the thought of a parade of elephants standing amongst Southend-on-Sea’s iconic attractions, bringing colour and fun to the city in Summer 2023.
Forterra’s generous donation of plinths for the second year running has helped make this entire project possible, and we’re extremely grateful for their support.”
