St Giles Hospice's March of the Elephants Auction Stomps to Spectacular Success

The event, held in the historic Lichfield Cathedral, saw around 200 people gather in person, with over 2,000 more watching online from around the world.

The auction marked the culmination of a community-wide art project featuring 30 large elephant sculptures and more than 40 mini-elephants, creating a visual feast for art enthusiasts and families alike. Each gentle giant was uniquely adorned by a mix of local and national artists, from well-known favourites to newly emerging talent. The smaller elephants of the herd were lovingly crafted by local schools and community groups, adding an extra touch of charm to this mammoth community project.

The stars of the show proved to be crowd favourites. 'Mighty Oak', inspired by the region's beautiful green spaces and woodland areas, stood tall with a closing bid of £8,200. 'Flora', a golden, floral, glow-in-the-dark design inspired by nature, imagination, and life, blossomed to an impressive £7,000. 'Tony', painted by the St Giles Hospice team and signed by Spandau Ballet's Tony Hadley, reached the high note of £3,200. Not to be overshadowed, 'Daisy', one of the smaller elephants sporting a silver floral glow-in-the-dark design, proved that great things come in small packages, reaching £5,600.

Elinor Eustace, Interim CEO of St Giles Hospice, was overjoyed with the results, and said: "It's been an absolutely amazing night. We are so grateful to every single bidder and of course to the ones who are taking the elephants home. We have had some phenomenal bids in the cathedral, and it has been a fantastic night with over £125,000 raised on the sculptures alone, plus the amount we had raised just before this event too. It's been a fantastic night for St Giles and thank you to the whole community for their support, it really does make a difference."

Elinor emphasised the critical importance of events like these, particularly in the current climate.

She added: "With hospices across the UK facing a £77 million funding deficit, and St Giles grappling with a £1.5 million annual shortfall, nights like this are more than just fundraisers – they're lifelines. Every pound raised helps us continue providing essential care to those who need it most in our community. In these challenging times, the success of this auction is a powerful reminder of the impact we can make when we come together."

Celebrity auctioneer Richard Winterton, who conducted the auction free of charge, helped to raise both interest and bids.

He said: "What a wonderful evening with an elephant-astic total raised for St Giles Hospice. This project was all about supporting the amazing work carried out by the team at St Giles Hospice and raising vital funds at a time when hospices need our support more than ever.

"I'm delighted that it has achieved that brilliantly. I'd like to thank everyone at St Giles Hospice and Wild In Art for their hard work and dedication in making March of the Elephants such a superb success. A special thank you goes to all our bidders and underbidders in the cathedral and online - every single lot sold on the night, and we couldn't have done it without you all.

"We were honoured to offer our auction services to March of the Elephants, and I'm proud to have brought down the gavel so these superb sculptures can go off to their new forever homes."

The March of the Elephants trail has been a colourful presence in Lichfield, Tamworth, and Sutton Coldfield for the past 10 weeks. Now, these beautiful sculptures will move on to their new homes, continuing to bring joy while supporting the vital work of St Giles Hospice.

For more information about St Giles Hospice and how to support their essential work, visit www.stgileshospice.com.

By Claire Fry - contributor