STORYBOOK favourite Elmer the Elephant will be sitting pretty this summer thanks to one of the UK’s leading furniture and flooring specialists.
North East based ScS, whose headquarters are at Sunderland, is once again supporting St Oswald’s Hospice by sponsoring one of the 65 elephant sculptures which will make up the free public art trail, Elmer’s Great North Parade.
And visitors to the 10-week-long trail – which begins on 21 August – will be able to visit the ScS-sponsored Elmer at its location at the seafront at Seaburn.
The Parade’s individually decorated sculptures are inspired by best-selling author David McKee’s colourful character and will be positioned across Sunderland, Newcastle, Gateshead and North and South Tyneside.
After the Parade draws to a close on 27 October, the sculptures will then be sold to the lucky highest bidders at a live auction at Sage, Gateshead on 12 November.
ScS – which was founded more than a century ago – is a long-standing supporter of the Hospice and was involved in 2016’s Great North Snowdogs trail, when it sponsored the Dog on the Tyne sculpture, at Gateshead’s Angel of the North.
CEO, David Knight, successfully bid for the sculpture at auction and it now sits in the reception area of the company’s head office, at Villiers Street.
Corporate Services Director, Marie Liston, who is Chairman of St Oswald’s Hospice and has been a voluntary member of the team there for over 20 years, said the company is delighted to be taking part in the Parade.
“ScS is a locally run business and we feel it’s important to give back to the community that has supported our growth,” she said.
“The Elmer trail encourages families to come together to celebrate the central messages around individuality demonstrated in the book and in the uniqueness of each sculpture, which is something we encourage as a business and employer.
“We’re looking forward to supporting St. Oswald’s once again by helping to raise awareness of its important services and funds to help it carry out vital activities for families in need.”
A range of sponsorship opportunities – including sponsoring an Elmer sculpture – is on offer and St Oswald’s Hospice’s head of fundraising, Jane Hogan, is urging other businesses to join the herd and support the Parade.
“Businesses saw very real and tangible benefits from supporting Great North Snowdogs,” she said.
“Not only did it attract more than 676,000 visitors, but it also boosted the region’s economy by more than £16.5m and raised a massive £367k for the hospice’s children and young adults’ service.
“So, we are delighted ScS is once again taking part in what is set to be the region’s biggest public mass-participation event of 2019.”
Elmer’s Great North Parade is being held in conjunction with creative producers Wild in Art, along with Elmer’s publisher Andersen Press and headline trail sponsor Tyne and Wear Metro.
Details of available locations, which are being snapped up on a first come, first served basis can be accessed at https://www.stoswaldsuk.org/elmer/elmer-map/.
For more information about Elmer’s Great North Parade, including corporate and sponsorship opportunities, visit www.greatnorthelmer.co.uk or follow the trail on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using the hashtag #greatnorthelmer.