Charity calling on locals to take on a ‘Hare-raising’ challenge to mark launch of Hares About Town art trail

June 17, 2021

Havens Hospices is kickstarting fundraising activities during its Hares About Town public art trail with its Bad ‘Hare’ Day challenge.

The charity is calling on schools, businesses and anyone in community to embrace their worse, craziest or most flamboyant hairstyle on Friday 2nd July and make a donation in support of its specialist hospice care which it provides to children and adults living with complex or incurable conditions.

Hares About Town is a spectacular public art event in partnership with Wild in Art that will be weaving its way across Southend starting on 1st July 2021 for 10 weeks in aid of Havens Hospices. 30 beautiful Hare sculptures, each one individually designed by an artist and sponsored by a business, form a free, fun, family-friendly trail of discovery for local residents and tourists to the town to explore and enjoy.

In addition to the Hare sculptures, there will be more than 50 Leveret sculptures that have been designed and created by over 40 schools and community groups across the borough. These Leverets are currently available to view in a separate trail amongst Southend’s cultural hotspots.

Lauren Eagle-Allen, Community Fundraiser at Havens Hospices says: “We are so excited to be launching our first fundraiser during the Hares About Town public art trail which will be kickstarting our fundraising towards our specialist hospice care.

“Whether you will be sporting bed hair, crazy colours or your best uncontrollable locks – every pound raised in will be having an immediate impact on our hospice care right now. So why not join your friends, classmates, family and colleagues and have a Bad ‘Hare’ Day in aid of Havens Hospices - our care can only exist thanks to the support and generosity of the community. Don’t forget to share your photos on social media tagging @havenshopsices and using the hashtag #BadHareDay.”