The Mall Luton partners with artist to create special sculptures for Keech Hospice Care trail

Colourful hares and tortoises will be popping up all over Luton this summer for Keech Hospice Care’s Short Tail Trail, and The Mall has drafted in an artist to decorate their special sculpture.

After the success of Keech’s Big Trunk Trail in 2021, Keech Hospice have once again partnered with Wild In Art to bring another event to Luton.

From July 6 to September 12, families can go around the town to find the 90 beautiful hares and three adorable tortoises placed at landmarks around Luton. The trail will be supporting Keech Hospice Care, who provide care for adults and children in Bedfordshire, and Hertfordshire and Milton Keynes for children.

After the event, the sculptures will be auctioned off to the highest bidders to raise funds for Keech Hospice Care.

Keech Hospice Care wants your photos for charity calendar 2025 – there’s still time to enter

Artist Beverley Sweetman is back at the studio at The Mall Luton to decorate their sponsored hare. She said: “The design for the hare has been created to encompass all that is great about Luton. Celebrating its history, heritage, and culture. Inspiration has been taken from Luton’s coat of arms which has a wheatsheaf, rose, thistle and a beehive.

“All of these elements are included in the design, entwined with the carnival, industries that have shaped the town and the diversity of the people that live and work here. The design is quite detailed and has many elements to hand paint, it will likely take around 40 - 50 hours!”

While Lavinia Douglass, marketing manager at The Mall Luton, said: “We are long time supporters of Keech Hospice Care and jumped at the opportunity to support them again by sponsoring a local artist to showcase their creative interpretation, and Beverley seemed like an obvious choice to us given her fantastic work on our elephant in 2021.”

Lavinia continued: “We are very proud to be supporting the Short Tail Trail alongside Luton BID as Business Presenting Partners and are delighted to give a warm welcome to the other artists participating at our studio space here at The Mall.

“We cannot wait to see the hares and tortoises in all their glory once the trail commences in July. Watch this space for more updates coming soon!”