Stampede by the Sea is live!

Officially launched on Friday 28th March, Weldmar Hospicecare’s ‘Stampede by the Sea’ art trail is now ready for the public. For the next 8 weeks, a collection of 31 large elephants and 28 small elephants are now positioned at key locations across Lyme Regis, Bridport and West Bay. The larger elephants have been designed and painted by talented artists and have been sponsored by local businesses, and the smaller elephants have been created by local schools.

The aim of the trail is to raise funds and awareness for the critical care that Weldmar Hospicecare provide to the residents of Dorset. At the end of the trail, all the large elephants will be sold at auction to raise additional funds for the charity.

Wessex Internet is proud to be the official Learning Partner for this initiative, which is providing resources for local schools to help address ‘the elephant in the room’, in the hope that open and difficult conversations can take place about illness, dying and grief. 22 schools across Dorset have signed up to be part of the initiative and they’ve each been given a baby elephant to design and paint. These elephants will be part of the trail but will be returned to their retrospective schools to serve as a reminder to talk about their emotions and feelings.

Everyone can get involved with the Stampede by the Sea trail to support the vital work that Weldmar Hospicecare provide by downloading the Stampede by the Sea app or picking up a paper copy. Follow the trail and visit all the 59 incredibly decorated elephants, pay a trip to the gift shop at the Salt House in West Bay or donate directly to Weldmar Hospicecare.

The app can be downloaded from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store, or a paper trail map can be purchased from Herd HQ located at The Salt House in West Bay, as well as the Weldmar Hospicare shops in Lyme Regis and Bridport, and the Hive Beach Café in Burton Bradstock. Stampede by the Sea is running from 28th March 2025 until 27th May 2025 and then there will be a farewell event from 14th till 18th June at the Corn Exchange where all 59 elephants will come together one final time, buy your ticket now to ensure you don’t miss out on this amazing sight.