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‘Junior Snailway’ raises £44,000 for Martlets Hospice

Besi Besemar March 19, 2019

£44,000 has been donated to Martlets hospice through the Junior Snailway project and the fundraising efforts of children in the Brighton and Hove area.

Launch of the Martlets Junior Snailway Campaign in Jubilee Square: Photo by Finlayson/Vervate

Over 22,000 children engaged with the city-wide art trail Snailspace by creating their own snail-shaped artwork at local schools, nurseries, youth groups and clubs and undertaking additional fundraising activities.

Across Brighton and Hove, 57 schools and children’s organisations signed up to the Snailspace Learners Programme to design and paint their own ‘junior’ snail sculpture. Some sculptures were decorated by a single gifted member of their community, while others were decorated by hundreds of children – each school, nursery or club creating something totally unique to them.

Photo by Finlayson/Vervate
Photo by Finlayson/Vervate

These smaller Snails were then displayed at cultural and educational venues, including libraries and Martlets Shops, alongside the main city-wide Snailspace art installation featuring 50 giant Snails.  The Junior Snailway sculptures were then returned to their creators to enjoy.

Each school, nursery or club taking part committed to additional fundraising and children were encouraged, using resources provided by Martlets, to engage in different ways with the project.  A variety of events took place to raise money, from snail hunts to cake sales, discos, music concerts, non-uniform days and sponsored walks.

Award-winning author and illustrator Nick Sharrat became a Junior Snailway Ambassador and worked tirelessly to promote the project for Martlets, inspiring local young people to be creative and getting everyone drawing.

Headline sponsor for Snailspace, The Aldridge Foundation, also supported the Learners Programme helping to make it such a spectacular and educational event for the whole community.

Sir Rod Aldridge said: “Martlets Hospice is a wonderful charity and we were delighted to be able to support them to raise this money by doubling the number of schools and youth groups taking part in this year’s trail. Developing creativity is an important part of our education and life skills and it’s something Aldridge Academies place a real accent on. What better way to raise money and celebrate the creativity of this city and of our young people than through this wonderful event?”

Liz Davies Community Fundraising Officer at Martlets added: “We are so grateful to the thousands of children that engaged with our Junior Snailway project and all the schools and youth organisations that took part.  We’re delighted that the feedback has been so positive from everyone and that they felt proud to be part of such an inspiring and creative project.  The figure of £44,000 is amazing and money is still coming in.  It will go towards helping Martlets give the very best care to local people with terminal illness and their families.”

 

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