Two young explorers have chosen to take on the Peter Rabbit™: Tales on the Tyne art trail this summer to support the work of St Oswald’s Hospice.
Zak, 12, and Eden, 8, along with their mum Kirsty Urwin from Washington, have already embarked on their adventure, which will see them attempt to find all 96 large and little Peter Rabbit sculptures located across Newcastle and North Tyneside. They are asking friends and family to sponsor their efforts, aiming to become Trail Champions and raise funds to help support patients and families at their local hospice.
We caught up with the terrific trio and asked what inspired them to take on the trail.
Kirsty said:
“We did the Shaun the Sheep trail as a family in 2023 and raised money by finding the sculptures. We absolutely loved it and when we heard there was a new trail coming, we were literally counting down the months, then weeks, until it began!
“When I asked Zak and Eden for some ideas about what they wanted to do during the school holidays, Eden immediately asked if we could do some charity work to make a difference in our local community. We already support our local foodbank, but then we came up with the idea of getting sponsored to complete the trail.”
The family got prepared, arming themselves with the official trail app, map and sticker book. As Kirsty explains, everyone has their own role to play:
“Eden absolutely loves the sticker book, and Zak enjoys using the app, so he’s our official navigator. My job is to take the photos. I’ve taken one of the boys at each sculpture to show we’ve visited.
“We completed the Shaun trail over just a few days, but this time we wanted to take our time and spread our visits across more of the summer. Already we’ve discovered new places and visited venues we might never normally have gone to. It’s amazing what’s right there on our doorstep!
“We’ve also enjoyed meeting other trail-goers while we’re out and about. Everyone has been really friendly. It’s like a little community.”
Although their challenge has only just begun, with the family having found around 15 Peter Rabbit sculptures so far, we couldn’t resist asking them if they already had a favourite.
Their top three are Classic Peter Rabbit (“you’ve got to include the original!”), Peter the Pirate (“we loved all the little details”), and Honey Bunny (“because Eden guessed its name based on its design”).
Eden has a special connection to the trail, having helped to design and paint one of the smaller sculptures as part of the Community Learning Programme. The 53 smaller sculptures, displayed in indoor venues across the region, have been painted by children from schools and youth groups, and Eden’s school, George Washington Primary School, was one of them. Their rabbit, called Darwin, is on display at Discovery Museum, and Eden was delighted to visit and see it again.
Put the fun into fundraising!
Anyone who raises funds for St Oswald’s Hospice by getting sponsored to complete the trail will receive a Trail Champion certificate and sticker. Those who raise more than £100 will also receive a free family ticket to the Tales on the Tyne Farewell Weekend on Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 October.
This special celebration will see all 96 sculptures come together one final time for a weekend of fun for all ages.
Kirsty, Zak and Eden have been collecting sponsorship from friends and family. They haven’t set themselves a fundraising target, but they have already raised £200, securing their Farewell Weekend ticket. However, they plan to keep going until every rabbit has been found.
Zak explained:
“I really look forward to seeing all the different designs and I get excited when we get closer to the next sculpture.
“I enjoy doing things for charity because I like to help make a difference. I like using the trail app because it makes finding rabbits easier, and I enjoy unlocking the rewards and seeing our stats rise as we collect more sculptures.”
Eden added:
“When I raise money for charity, I get an amazing feeling.
“We like spending lots of time looking at each design, but we also get really excited about getting back on the hunt and finding the next one. I’ve been having lots of fun with the trail sticker book. It helps me remember my favourite parts of each sculpture and gives me good memories of our fun days out.”
Thank you to Kirsty, Zak and Eden for taking on the trail!
Become a Trail Champion like Zak and Eden!
If you’re inspired by Zak and Eden’s efforts and would like to receive a free family ticket to the Farewell Weekend by raising £100 in sponsorship, you too can become a Trail Champion. You can do this challenge alone or you could team up with your friends to complete it as a group. Wear fancy dress, set a time limit, walk, run or hop – how you do it is up to you!
Visit our website to download a sponsorship form or create an online fundraising page, and find out more about how your support makes a difference.
