Kirrie artist is head of the herd with fundraising art trail sculpture

Kirrie artist Sandra Webster with her elephant, which is part of The Big Trunk Trail to raise money for Keech Hospice Care.

A Kirriemuir artist has been chosen to create an unusual sculpture for a new art trail set up to raise funds for a hospice in Bedfordshire.

Sandra Webster’s beautifully decorated elephant sculpture is currently gracing The Big Trunk Trail in Luton, which features a herd of more than 70 spectacular elephant installations in the biggest public art event Bedfordshire has ever seen.

The free, family-friendly outdoor trail sees the sculptures placed across Luton’s parks and landmarks. The elephants will be on parade until October 8 as Keech Hospice Care’s way of saying ‘thank you’ in its 30th anniversary year to everyone who has supported it through the decades.

The hospice is one of only a handful in the UK which support both adult and child patients and the sculptures will be auctioned off in November to raise valuable funds for them.

More than 70 decorated elephants have been placed across Luton.

Sandra, who is also an NHS nurse, said: “I was delighted to be an artist for the Big Trunk Trail because it’s such fun designing and painting something so huge and out of the ordinary. I hope people enjoy the bold colours of my elephant and that it brightens up their day.

"Being involved in the trail has been so gratifying knowing that my artwork can contribute to such a great cause as Keech Hospice Care.”

Sandra was selected to take part along with many highly talented and proficient artists, including former Turner Prize nominee Mark Titchner.

Some of the elephants have been produced for big names, including Great British Bake Off champion, Nadiya Hussain and the charity established in the name of the fundraising hero, The Captain Tom Foundation.

Liz Searle, Keech Hospice Care CEO, said: “We were really fortunate to be able to attract artists of the calibre of Sandra and Mark for the Big Trunk Trail and we’re so delighted with what they’ve created. The elephants are already proving incredibly popular with people in Luton and beyond and are becoming quite the tourist attraction in their own right.”

The large sculptures will be auctioned on November 11. Fans of the artists can register for the auction at https://bit.ly/BigTrunkTrailAuction.

Donations can be made via the Keech Connect app or by texting trunk to 70470 to make an instant £3 donation.