Peter Rabbit statues to feature in hospice trail

Auctioning off statues at the end of the art trails has raised thousands of pounds for the charity

Beatrix Potter's popular character Peter Rabbit has been chosen as the design for an art trail's money-raising statues.

Forty individually decorated statues of the sketchbook rabbit will be dotted around Newcastle and North Tyneside as part of Tales on the Tyne to raise money for St Oswald's Hospice.

This is the charity's fourth art event, following on from the success of the Shaun the Sheep on the Tyne theme in 2023, the Great North Snowdogs in 2016 and Elmer's Great North Parade in 2019.

Newcastle City Council, which is sponsoring the event, said the hospice provided a "vital service".

A printed map or app will point people in the right direction of the statues and money raised will help young people, children and babies living with life-limiting and incurable conditions.

A series of smaller Peter sculptures, adopted and painted by schools and youth groups, will also be displayed as part of the trail.

This is the fourth art trail organised by the charity, with 2023's event featuring Shaun the Sheep

The charity has also teamed up with Wild in Art and The World of Peter Rabbit to put on the trail.

It runs from 15 July until 14 September, after which the statues will be auctioned.

Council leader Karen Kilgour said: "St Oswald's is one of the great institutions of our city, providing incredible levels of care and compassion for people and their families at the most difficult of times.

"We're hugely proud to be sponsoring their 2026 art trail as we have in previous years, helping it raise the vital funds it needs to continue its extremely important work."