Why it matters: The money raised will help fund hospice services that cost around £12 million annually, with 70% of funding coming from local community support rather than government.
The big picture: St Elizabeth Hospice's "Hop to it! Suffolk 2025" art trail featured more than 130 decorated hare sculptures across Suffolk from 21 June to 29 August, extending beyond Ipswich for the first time to include Beccles, Felixstowe, Lowestoft and Woodbridge.
This was the hospice's fourth art trail, made possible with support from presenting partners East Suffolk Council, Ipswich Borough Council and Suffolk County Council. St Elizabeth Hospice delivers support to over 4,000 people throughout the region living with progressive or life-limiting illness each year.
The details: Over 200 people gathered at Milsoms in Kesgrave on Wednesday, 17 September, for the auction, conducted by Clarke and Simpson, where the sculptures found their forever homes. The total surpassed the £163,590 raised by the hospice's previous art trail auction, the Big Hoot Ipswich 2022.
What they're saying: Celia Joseph, Community & Projects Fundraising Manager at St Elizabeth Hospice, said: "The auction was the perfect way to bring this summer's art trail to a close."
She added: "A big thank you to our presenting partners, sponsors, volunteers, local community and businesses who supported Hop to it! Suffolk 2025. It was a real community event and one that would not have been possible without everyone's fantastic support."
One winning bidder, Charlie Clarke, who bought "Built on the River", said his wife Wendy was supported by the hospice in 2023. "The hospice is such a special organisation that supported us so much. Most importantly, the real winner tonight is St Elizabeth Hospice."
The bottom line: The trail demonstrates how creative community projects can generate significant funding for essential local services, with the hospice's success showing what can be achieved when councils, businesses, volunteers and residents work together for a common cause.
