Shaun the Sheep in the Heart of Kent art trail thrilled thousands of visitors in Maidstone over the summer and the final event, the Grand Auction, took place on 26 September to raise money for Heart of Kent Hospice.

The uniquely painted sculptures raised a total of £265,250 for the hospice which provides free palliative end of life care to people across Maidstone.

One special moment of the night came when several bidders joined forces to raise £14,000 for the Shaun Bench named Changing of the Seasons. The bench was designed by Annabelle Hodd in memory of a friend who was cared for by the hospice. It will have its forever home at the hospice.

Bee Happy by artist Donna Newman raised the most on the night for a Shaun sculpture, selling for £8,500.

Rachel Street, Chief Executive Heart of Kent Hospice said: “This amazing event was a collaboration between our Hospice, Aardman, Wild in Art and Presenting Partner and sponsor Maidstone Borough Council.  We couldn’t have carried out this event without the support of our Partners and Sponsors, our volunteer trail makers, along with so many other local businesses who gave their time, services and support.”

Director of Income Generation at the Hospice Ann-Marie Kelly said: “The amount raised will help pay for our team of Doctors, Nurses and Healthcare Assistants who provide personalised around-the-clock care in our Inpatient Unit and in people’s homes and care homes.

We hope everyone enjoyed the trail and learning more about the Hospices work and will consider supporting the charity in the future. Hospice care has never been more needed and demand for our services continues to grow, so fundraising like this is vital to enable us to continue delivering the care that our community needs.”