Ipswich Big Hoot owl sculptures raise £163k for hospice

Frutti Hooti, created by Alison Calvebert-Rearden, stood outside BBC Suffolk's building off the Civic Drive/St Matthew's Street roundabout and it sold for £2,000

An auction of 50 owl sculptures that featured in a town's summer art trail has raised £163,590 for charity.

The 6ft-tall (2-metre) models were located across Ipswich as part of St Elizabeth Hospice's Big Hoot 2022.

Owls were chosen as the charity has taken patients with progressive illnesses, and their families, "under the wing of its care" for 33 years.

Hannah Bloom from the hospice said it was "the culmination of months of hard work".

The auction took place Ipswich's Corn Exchange with £15,000 being the highest bid for a single owl - Towny Owl by Sarah Edwards, which featured the Ipswich Town shirt, which is sponsored by pop star Ed Sheeran.

The Ipswich Town shirt was painted on to "Towny Owl" by Sarah Edwards and sold for £15,000, featuring Ed Sheeran's sponsorship logo

Owl Hands On Deck painted by Angela Ashford sold for £2,700

The sculptures were in place from June until early September, in what was been described by the charity as the "biggest free art event in Suffolk".

Ms Bloom said she was "impressed with how much they stood out and how fantastic they looked".

Aimed mostly at children, people could complete the trial using a smartphone app and get rewards from local sponsors.

Several owls were positioned in Christchurch Park, including these ones in front of Christchurch Mansion

A Panini-style sticker book was also available - raising money through the sale of packets of owl stickers.

Ms Bloom said there were "2,000 people at the farewell weekend" of the trail.

• Easter bunnies hop in the sea for postponed dip

• St Elizabeth Hospice patients meet Ipswich Town heroes

• Signed Sheeran elephant sculpture sells for £10k

It was the charity's third art trail in partnership with creative producers Wild in Art, following Pigs Gone Wild in 2016 and Elmer's Big Parade Suffolk in 2019.

Sheeran paid £6,200 at auction for a pig sculpture bearing his likeness, called Ed Sheer-ham.

Elmer's Big Parade Suffolk raised £260,000.

Schools created smaller owls to go on display at shops, but it was only the full-size sculptures that were being auctioned