Elmer’s Big Belfast Trail raised £131,000 last week as the 35 Elmer sculptures which brightened up the city centre of Belfast over the summer went to auction in aid of Northern Irish Hospice.
The sculptures were each painted by different artists before the public arts trail. This follows on from successful trails in Plymouth, Ipswich, Newcastle and Maidstone since 2019, which have collectively raised over £1.2million for charity.
“We are thrilled that our partnership with Wild in Art continues to raise such incredible amounts of money for charities around the country, and this money raised is vital to the running of Northern Ireland Hospice which services an entire country,” said Paul Black, brand and PR director at Andersen Press. “For us to have raised over £1.2million in only three years is a testament to the values of friendship and inclusivity at the heart of Elmer, and we’re delighted that so many people are now welcoming these beautiful sculptures into their homes.”
Further trails are planned for 2023 and 2024, with details to follow.
It is a busy time for Elmer at Andersen Press – 21 October will see the public opening of the Elmer and Friends exhibition at South London’s Horniman Museum and Gardens in time for half term. The exhibition was developed by Seven Stories, The National Centre for Children’s books for the 2019 30th anniversary of Elmer, and contains original illustrations, manuscripts and artwork from the late David McKee’s books.
Visitors can step into Elmer’s jungle and see the vibrant art from the successful series, plus see original film cells from Mr Benn and original art from other David McKee classics such as Not Now, Bernard and Two Can Toucan.
The exhibition runs until April 2023.
In addition, a new Elmer shaped board board – My First Elmer Bedtime – has been released and follows on from the successful publishing of previous titles in the shaped board book series, My First Elmer and My First Elmer Christmas.
More publishing in the series is planned, with My First Elmer Birthday to come in 2023.
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