Bargain Hunt's Charles Hanson to put Big Hop Trail hares under the hammer
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TV personality Charles Hanson is set to auction off a drove of giant hares currently on display across the north of Scotland to raise vital funds for charity Clan Cancer Support.
The bold creations from public art exhibition The Big Hop Trail will go under the hammer on Monday, September 18, following the trail’s Farewell Weekend which will allow the public a final opportunity to see all 92 sculptures featured in the project.
Both the auction and the Farewell Weekend events will take place at Aberdeen’s Music Hall with members of the public able to buy tickets.
Interested bidders can also view all auction lots and make an expression of interest or submit a bid by checking out the online auction catalogue.
Charles Hanson said: “I am delighted to be involved in The Big Hop Trail. With more of us affected by cancer, and living with it for longer, the project is a great way to enable people to make a difference to the lives of those impacted.
“I look forward to my visit to Aberdeen in September and hope that along with the individuals and businesses from the communities involved in the trail, we can raise a huge amount for Clan Cancer Support to allow the charity to continue delivering its lifeline services.”
Charles will be joined by radio personality Claire Stevenson who will be hosting the event which is expected to draw an audience of more than 400 people, with more bidders joining online.
Sales of the items - which include 40 large and five small individually designed hare sculptures will help raise vital funds for the charity, with bids starting at £3000 per design.
Teresa Bremner, Clan Cancer Support’s sculpture trail project manager, said: “We are so excited to have Charles on board for The Big Hop Trail auction.
"Not only is he an accomplished auctioneer, he’s also an incredible charity ambassador and is committed to ensuring the event will raise as much money as possible for Clan.
“The response to the hares has been fantastic and we still have some time to enjoy them while they’re out in the wild.
We anticipate the Farewell Weekend and Auction events will be popular and would encourage people to buy their tickets now to secure their opportunity to see these much-loved sculptures before they are relocated to their new homes.”
The Big Hop Trail, sponsored by Hellmann Worldwide Logistics, is being delivered by Clan Cancer Support which delivers practical and emotional support to anyone affected by a cancer diagnosis.
The project showcases 40 six-foot hare sculptures displayed across a public art trail measuring more than 550 miles in the north of the country, showcasing locations from Stonehaven, Aberdeen to Lerwick, Shetland.
In partnership with Wild in Art, the trail aims to raise awareness of the leading north-east cancer charity which runs seven support centres and additional outreach programmes across Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Moray, Orkney and Shetland and generate vital funding for its services.
The charity chose the hare sculpture because the animal is found across Clan’s geography and is known for its resilience.
They also have exceptional hearing, symbolising the charity’s lifeline listening and support service.
The trail coincides with Clan’s 40th anniversary, with the 40 hares being the focal point to celebrate the charity’s commitment to supporting people affected by cancer.
Alongside the main trail, a collection of 52 leveret sculptures are on public display as part of ‘The Wee Hop’.
These mini sculptures, many designed by local school pupils, are displayed in groups across a range of venues across the north-east, Moray, Orkney and Shetland.
The locations of all the trail sculptures are displayed in the trail map which is available for download here and for collection at all Clan Cancer Support shops and centres and distribution points across the north-east, Moray, Orkney and Shetland.
A dedicated app has also been developed for the event which allows users to ‘collect’ the hares by entering a code displayed on the base of each sculpture with rewards including discount offers available for some entries.
The hares will remain on display until Sunday, September 3. There will then be an opportunity to view all large and small sculptures at the Farewell Weekend event at The Music Hall in Aberdeen on September 16 and 17.
The 40 large sculptures and five specially commissioned leveret sculptures will be sold at auction at The Music Hall on Monday, September 18 with all proceeds going to Clan Cancer Support.
All leveret sculptures created by pupils will be returned to the school following the Farewell Weekend.
Visit www.thebighop.co.uk for more information on The Big Hop Trail.
