Charity farewell event for penguin sculpture trail

The farewell event runs from Friday until Sunday at Worcestershire County Cricket Club

Penguin sculptures that were used to created a public art trail have been gathered together for a farewell event.

The 80 large, colourful models lined the streets of Worcester for eight weeks after being installed around the city in July to raise money for St Richard's Hospice.

Each of the Waddle of Worcester penguins were designed by artists or local schools and sponsored by businesses.

A final event is being held at Worcestershire County Cricket Ground over the weekend to give people the opportunity to have a final look at the sculptures before they go up for auction.

The farewell event runs from Friday to Sunday at Worcestershire County Cricket Club.

Sarah Matthews, the project lead of Waddle of Worcester, said it was amazing to see people explore new parts of the city while enjoying the trail.

Despite its popularity some penguins were vandalised and one had to be recovered from the River Severn.

The sculptures will be auctioned off in aid of St Richard's Hospice

Ms Matthews said: "Sadly we do have a little bit of damage, which can happen, but hopefully people now understand what this is in aid of and it's raising money for St Richards Hospice."

The ticketed event will charge £6 for adults and £3 for children.

Ms Matthews said it was a chance for those "who haven't had the opportunity to complete the trail or not able to do it because it is a decent distance for people."

She added: "It is also a chance for people to preview if they're thinking of buying it at auction, it's an opportunity for them to inspect the sculptures."

Previous art trails involving elephants and giraffes have collectively raised more than £700,000 for the charity.