Putting the ‘Art’ in Dartford: How ellenor’s Public Wild Art Trail is Raising the Profile of Local Hospice Care

On the surface, the logistics are almost absurd.

60 fibreglass sculptures, bolted to concrete plinths that tip the scales at 800 kilograms apiece. 40 lorries. Dozens of forklifts.

But at the heart of ellenor’s public art trail - based on the classic children’s book We’re Going on a Bear Hunt - lies something far weightier: a community-wide attempt to reframe how people understand hospice care.

The art trail will come to the Borough of Dartford in summer 2026, when the sculptures - 30 Giant Bears and 30 Bear Cubs, all inspired by those in Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury’s beloved picture book – will fill the surrounds of ellenor’s local community. The big Bears will be designed by a mix of local and national artists, while the small ones will be painted by schoolchildren and community groups.

All of the sculptures, come next June, will be placed along a trail throughout Dartford’s urban area and the sprawling Bluewater shopping complex - bringing families into overlooked streets, winding footpaths, and neighbourhoods they may not have visited in years. There, the art can be enjoyed by locals and visitors for the entirety of the trail’s eight week run - for free.

The goal? To engage the local economy, draw in hundreds of thousands of people, and use the artwork to spread awareness of an altogether different kind of work – the vital role ellenor plays in supporting its local community.

ellenor is a hospice charity that cares for patients with life-limiting and life-threatening illnesses throughout Kent and Bexley. It has inpatient and outpatient services in Northfleet, but most of its care takes place in the community, from the homes of the people it supports. ellenor is organising the art trail, with the support of Dartford Borough Council (Presenting Partner), Bluewater Shopping Centre (Official Partner), and Pentagon Transport Ltd – the project’s Storage and Logistics Partner.

Georgina “Georgie” Packer, 32, is the project’s trailblazer - literally and figuratively. She’s taught art therapy in schools, delivered mental health training, and has strong experience in hospice fundraising. But ask her about this project – ellenor’s first-ever public art trail -

and her eyes light up with the kind of joy that makes even the logistical nightmares feel worthwhile.

Georgie joined ellenor in January 2025 and will see the trail through to its end, after the last bear has been auctioned off. Between now and then, she’s tasked with overseeing everything: from corporate partnerships to concrete placements. But the real work is subtler: it’s about weaving hospice care into the cultural fabric of Dartford – one sculpture at a time.

ellenor’s hospice services are wide-ranging. Its commitment to holistic care involves caring not only for the patient’s clinical needs, but for their emotional, psychological, and social ones, too – with services such as complementary therapy, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, counselling, and bereavement support available for the families ellenor supports.

But for many people in the Dartford area, ellenor’s services remain largely unseen.

“Previous market research showed that people in the Dartford area weren’t aware of the vast expanse of ellenor’s services,” Georgie says. “Or in some cases, aware of ellenor at all. The vast majority of our care for the people of Dartford takes place within the community – so it’s a balancing act. How do you bring that message to people in a way that’s comfortable for families to engage with? The art trail is a gentle entry to promote that awareness.”

Each sculpture along the trail will have a plaque bearing a QR code. Scanning these will allow the trail-walker to ‘collect’ each work of art in a digital passport. It will also provide the viewer with bite-sized stories about ellenor’s services, and about the wide range of patients and their loved ones – local people, like you and me – ellenor supports. That might be a quote from the family member of a patient ellenor has supported, some highlights from ellenor’s Wellbeing programmes, or reflections that challenge common misconceptions around hospices.

So - why bears?

There were plenty of animals in Wild in Art’s sculptural stables to choose from. But aside from being easily recognisable and instantly lovable, the bears from We’re Going on a Bear Hunt offer something else: symbolism.

“We felt that the book itself is really about resilience,” says Georgie. “It’s about all the lengths the fictional family go through - from thick, oozy mud to a swirling, whirling snowstorm – in pursuit of the bear. For us here at ellenor, it reflected the ups and downs real people go through when they’re having an extremely tough time in life. That speaks so closely to the experience of anyone needing the support of a hospice like ellenor.”

There’s also the physicality of the bears. “They’re big and powerful, but also cute and endearing,” Georgie adds. “Which makes them a great canvas for artists - and the kids are going to fall in love with the cubs!”

In addition to the vital awareness the bears will raise of ellenor’s role in supporting its local community, the sculptures will also bring vital funds into the hospice. Some of this come from the money ellenor saves through the support of its partners – which also Pillory Barn (Creative Partner), The Image Works (Photography and Videography Partner), and Artisan Print (Print Partner) – while some will come after the art trail’s eight-week run is over, when the painted bears will be auctioned off for around £4,500 each.

But the real legacy, Georgie hopes, will linger longer.

“We’re trying to challenge the way people think about hospices,” she says. “To make people feel open to learning more; to help demystify what we do.”

It’s a slow, deliberate strategy. A bear in a shop window. A quote on a plinth. A memory, or an invitation, or an idea. Small things – until they’re not.

“Ultimately, it’s about community,” Georgie finishes. “About a story. And every single person who touches this trail – whether they paint a sculpture, fundraise for a cub, or just walk the route – is helping tell that story.”