Haven is sponsoring an Elmer sculpture for Blackpool’s first-ever public art trail
- Haven, leading UK holiday park operator, is sponsoring a sculpture for Elmer’s Big Parade.
- Debuting in spring 2024, the initiative involves Haven's Marton Mere holiday park in collaboration with Brian House Children’s Hospice and Wild in Art.
- Marks the first fusion of art and community in the famous seaside town.
Haven, the UK’s leading holiday park operator, has signed up as a sculpture sponsor in support of Elmer’s Big Parade Blackpool, set to debut in the spring of 2024. The company’s Marton Mere holiday park in Blackpool joins forces with Brian House Children’s Hospice in collaboration with Wild in Art – an exciting endeavour that brings art and community together for the very first time in the vibrant and picturesque seaside town.
Elmer’s Big Parade Blackpool will see at least 30 large Elmer sculptures, each individually painted by artists and illustrators, placed in key locations around the town. It will create a free family-friendly eight-week trail next spring, boosting Blackpool’s economy, celebrating everything that makes the town diverse and raising vital income for its children’s hospice, Brian House.
Haven has invested in the trail and will have its branding on one of the sculptures around the town. The sculpture will then be auctioned along with all other Elmer sculptures on the trail at the end of the event to raise money for Brian House.
"Haven Marton Mere Holiday Park has been supporting Trinity Hospice for many years and so we are delighted to sponsor an Elmer sculpture for Blackpool's inaugural public art trail,” said Keith Robson, General Manager at Haven Marton Mere.
“Our unwavering commitment to supporting the local community is at the very heart of our organisation. So it is with pride that we wholeheartedly support this wonderful parade which not only raises funds for a very worthy cause but also reflects our Haven values and infuses artistic vibrancy into the remarkable town for both residents and visitors to explore and enjoy.”
Elmer’s Big Parade Blackpool will take to the streets of Blackpool from Saturday 13th April 2024. It is expected to bring more than 250,000 visitors to the town as they take part in the trail and could contribute more than £1.5 million to the local economy. It is hoped it will raise more than £110,000 for Brian House.
Linzi Warburton, Head of Fundraising at Brian House, said: “Each of our unique Elmer sculptures will offer something completely different to the people taking part in our trail next year, and we are thrilled that Haven has joined our herd.
“By having their branding associated with one of our Elmers, they truly are helping us to bring this art trail – the first of its kind – to Blackpool. With Haven’s support, and from others like them, Elmer’s Big Parade Blackpool will boost Blackpool’s economy and tourism, bring civic pride to the diverse town we are proud to call home and help to raise vital funds for our area’s only children’s hospice, supporting the Fylde coast’s most fragile children.”
Elmer’s Big Parade Blackpool is being brought to the town by Brian House in partnership with Wild in Art and Andersen Press. The Elmer sculptures are inspired by David McKee’s beloved children’s books, each uniquely decorated to create a truly unique experience for locals and visitors to discover and re-discover Blackpool.
Alongside the large Elmer sculptures will be a herd of Young Elmers, designed and painted by local schools and youth organisations as part of the trail’s Learning Programme and returned to them at the end of the trail to live in their forever home.
Elmer’s Big Parade Blackpool is supported by Presenting Partners Thompson Contracts and Ameon, Learning Programme Sponsor Tower Insurance and Official Supporters Shared Services Connected Ltd (SSCL), Beaverbrooks, Partington’s Holiday Parks, RSS Events and Blackpool Council.
For more information about Elmer’s Big Parade Blackpool, visit www.elmerblackpool.co.uk and follow @elmerblackpool on social media.
Contact Information
Kate Backhouse
Notes to editors
About Elmer’s Big Parade Blackpool
Elmer’s Big Parade Blackpool is being brought to Blackpool by Brian House Children’s Hospice in collaboration with Wild in Art and Andersen Press. In Spring 2024, a diverse herd of Elmers will bring art to the streets of Blackpool, joining the business and creative sectors together with local communities and visitors to celebrate everything that makes our town unique.
This large-scale public art event will provide a trail across Blackpool that will encourage thousands of local people to become a ‘tourist in their own town’ while attracting visitors from out of the area to spend time in the resort. It will engage with local and regional professional artists and community groups and showcase the creativity of our town and celebrate its heritage. The event will also create a Blackpool-wide education programme using creativity as a device for learning in local schools and youth groups, while the trail will increase footfall and, ultimately, visitor spend in sponsors’ and host venues.
Ultimately, Elmer’s Big Parade Blackpool will be fun, engaging and popular at a time when we are all eager for new experiences while raising vital funds and awareness of Brian House as the only children’s hospice on the Fylde coast.
www.elmerblackpool.co.uk | @elmerblackpool
About Brian House Children’s Hospice
Brian House is the only specialist children’s hospice for the Fylde coast, offering unique, expert care and support that makes a huge difference to the most seriously ill and vulnerable children in our community.
The purpose-built hospice, which forms part of Trinity Hospice, allows children with incredibly challenging medical needs and conditions to have the chance to live life to the full, to play and have fun as every child should.
Brian House offers respite care whether it’s for a day, a night, a weekend or even longer for local families, as well as group support for the whole family. Brian House is also there for expert end-of-life care and bereavement support.
All of Brian House’s services are provided completely free of charge to every family which needs them, but with running costs of more than £ 1.4 million and little help from the government, it relies on the support and generosity of people and organisations in the community.
www.brianhouse.org.uk | @brianhousech
About Wild in Art
Wild in Art is the leading producer of spectacular public art events that entertain, enrich, inform and leave a lasting legacy. It brings together businesses and creative sectors with schools and local communities through the creation of uniquely painted sculptures.
Since 2008 Wild in Art has animated cities across the world including Manchester, Sydney, Auckland, Cape Town and São Paulo, and created trails for the London 2012 Olympics, the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Historic Royal Palaces and Penguin Random House.
Wild in Art events have:
- Enabled over £23.6m to be raised for charitable causes
- Injected £3.8m into local creative communities
- Engaged over 1 million young people in learning programmes
- Helped millions of people of all ages to experience art in non-traditional settings
wildinart.co.uk | @wildinart | #wildinart
About Andersen Press
Elmer remains one of the most iconic and widely read children’s book series of all time, selling over 10 million copies worldwide since it was first published by Andersen Press in 1989. Written and illustrated by celebrated children’s author and artist David McKee, the Elmer books have been translated into more than 60 languages and now new books, toys and clothing add to the world of Elmer the Patchwork Elephant.
David McKee, 1935-2022 was born in Devon and studied at Plymouth Art College. In the early part of his career, McKee regularly drew and sold humorous drawings to magazines and newspapers such as The Times Educational Supplement, Punch and Reader’s Digest. David McKee has written and illustrated over 50 picture books for Andersen Press and has penned a number of children’s classics including King Rollo, Mr Benn, Not Now Bernard and Elmer the Patchwork Elephant. He was named ‘Illustrator of the Year’ at the Bookseller British Book Awards in 2020.