Central Co-op sponsors March of the Elephants trail
Posted by lauryn mellor | Published: 18/07/2024
Central Co-op is delighted to announce its sponsorship of the vibrant and inspiring March of the Elephants trail, raising money for St Giles Hospice throughout the summer.
From the 1st of July to the 8th of September, the streets, parks and open spaces of Lichfield, Tamworth and Sutton Coldfield have been adorned with over 60 beautifully designed elephant sculptures, including 30 large pieces crafted by celebrated and emerging artists, and over 40 mini sculptures created by local schools and community groups.
Central Co-op is proud to contribute to this wonderful initiative with two unique elephant sculptures:
The large elephant sculpture, named Trunkful of Memories, is positioned outside Central Co-op’s Boley Park store in Lichfield, the sculpture was designed by Sri Lankan-born artist, chef, florist and creative, Gayani Ariyaratne. Her botanical-themed artwork includes foods loved by the wild elephants she grew up around, such as macadamias and coffee, highlighting products from Central Co-op's Our Malawi Partnership.
The small elephant calf sculpture was designed and painted by pupils from the local Streethay Primary School in Lichfield. Reflecting the school’s community-focused ethos, the design also celebrates themes around Malawi and now resides inside Central Co-op’s Boley Park store.
The exciting event, organised by St Giles Hospice, highlights community artistic talent and rich cultural heritage. At the end of the trail, the sculptures will be auctioned to raise essential funds for St Giles Hospice, supporting local people and their loved ones living with terminal illnesses.
James Knight, Member & Community Relations Officer at Central Co-op, comments: “We’re delighted to support the March of the Elephants trail and invite everyone to join in the fun and explore the local area, one elephant at a time. We wanted to get involved to celebrate the art and community that the event brings, while supporting such a worthy cause. The grand auction of our elephant and all the other sculptures on the trail will take place in October and will be a fitting finale to raise valuable funds for the St Giles Hospice Charity.”
The sculpture trail promises to bring joy and excitement to local communities in Lichfield, Tamworth and Sutton Coldfield. Each elephant is equipped with a QR code that provides information about the sponsor and offers a little reward for visitors. Central Co-op’s incentive is tied to Our Malawi Partnership products, which are available in all Central Co-op stores.
The Our Malawi Partnership, launched on 2nd July 2022 to mark the 100th International Day of Co-operatives, supports Malawian producers and farmers. Products sold in Central Co-op stores under this initiative helps to strengthen trading capacity in Malawi, with a portion of sales directly benefiting these communities.
For further information on Central Co-op’s Our Malawi Partnership, head to https://malawi.centralengland.coop/. Details on becoming a Member can be found at Members.coop.
ENDS
For press information
Press Office
pressoffice@centralcoop.co.uk
Lauryn Mellor, PR and Media Specialist at Central Co-op
lauryn.mellor@centralcoop.co.uk
07385 048004