Havens Hospices calls for local and national businesses to sponsor a penguin for its upcoming art trail, Waddle-on-Sea.

Following on from the success of Hares About Town in 2021 and Herd In The City in 2023, which raised over £1million for local hospice care, the Essex-based charity will be bringing a new family-friendly art trail to Southend-on-Sea in the summer of 2025 for the local community to explore and enjoy.

Waddle-on-Sea will see over 30 large penguins, along with some small penguins, sponsored by businesses and created by professional artists. Huddles of baby penguins will also accompany the sculptures, which will be adopted and decorated by schools, community groups and organisations.

Sponsors of the event will help deliver significant economic, social, and cultural benefits to the city, uniting businesses, creative sectors and the community while raising vital funds for local hospice care. Last year alone, the Herd In The City art trail had a direct local economic impact of £3.3million.

Owen Williams, Managing Director of 6rs, the Creative Partner who created the Waddle-on-Sea branding, says, “Herd In The City was a fantastic event that really brought the business community together, as well as the general public. We developed great relationships with local businesses as a direct result of our involvement.”

Sculpture sponsors benefit from aligning their brand with Havens Hospices, a much-loved local charity that provides care for babies, children, and adults with incurable or complex conditions across Essex. This sponsorship not only supports the raising of significant funds for free hospice care but also offers a 12-month association with a high-profile, media-friendly event. Additionally, sponsors will gain valuable exposure through a professionally designed penguin sculpture that will be prominently displayed in the city. Sponsors will also feature on the Waddle-on-Sea app, raising awareness of their brand to thousands of people with the option of adding a reward to entice trail-goers to engage with their business.

Vanessa Harvey, Waddle-on-Sea Project Manager for Havens Hospices, says, "This marks Havens Hospices' third art trail, demonstrating our proven ability to deliver successful events that maximise marketing and PR efforts, boosting awareness and engagement throughout Essex and beyond. It's an ideal opportunity for both local and national businesses to participate in a well-established art trail."

Waddle-on-Sea is made possible thanks to Presenting Partner, Ipeco, Official Partners BTMK, Highview, Able Group and Revive Digital, Rickard Luckin as Learning & Community Programme Partner, Atlantic Pacific as Logistics Partner, 6rs as Creative Partner, Main Media as Videography Partner, the Echo as Media Partner, BBC Essex as Radio Partner and is supported by Southend-on-Sea City Council.

There is still time for local and national businesses to be a part of this exciting opportunity and be part of the huddle. For more information or to sign up as a sponsor, visit www.waddleonsea.co.uk/getinvolved.