Elephant sculptures fetch £125,000 at auction

Professional artists painted 30 large sculptures, with more than 40 baby elephant models decorated by the local community

More than 70 elephant sculptures that were on show in parks, streets and open spaces across the West Midlands, have been sold at auction for £125,000.

The animals featured in the March of the Elephants trail, which has seen figures located across Lichfield, Tamworth and Sutton Coldfield over the past 10 weeks.

Now, 30 large elephant sculptures and more than 40 mini-figures have been sold during an auction at Lichfield Cathedral.

The money will help support St Giles Hospice, which was behind the fundraiser.

Each of the gentle giants was painted by a mix of local and national artists, with the smaller elephants crafted by local schoolchildren and community group members.

The most popular sculpture was Mighty Oak, inspired by the region's green spaces and woodland areas, which was bought for £8,200.

The elephant sculptures were auctioned off to raise funds for St Giles Hospice

Elinor Eustace, Interim CEO of St Giles Hospice, said the auction had been "absolutely amazing".

"We are so grateful to every single bidder and of course to the ones who are taking the elephants home," she said.

"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."

Ms Eustace said the money will help bridge St Giles' £1.5m annual shortfall.

"Every pound raised helps us continue to provide essential care to those who need it most in our community," she said.

"In these challenging times, the success of this auction is a powerful reminder of the impact we can make when we come together."

The trail got off to a rocky start after one of the elephants, called Vince, was damaged on his first day on the trail.

The figure was so severely damaged in the "deliberate" act, it had to be removed, a St Giles Hospice spokesperson said.