FOLLOWING the spring launch of the Hares of Hampshire, a Wild in Art event by local charity The Murray Parish Trust, the team were delighted to welcome communications agency BECG, Norwegian Cruise Line and Williams Shipping & Transport as official sponsors to  an in person VIP launch event hosted by Sarah Parish at Winchester Cathedral on September 14.

The pandemic postponed the opportunity for Hares of Hampshire to be launched in person but following the lifting of restrictions this event provided an opportunity for business leaders across the South to come together for the first networking event. Guests were told more about the project and how to get involved as well as having the opportunity to understand how businesses and charity sector partnerships can have a positive effect on communities.

Joining Sarah Parish were guest speakers Stephen Pomeroy (CEO of BECG), Harvinder Pereira (HR Manager from Norwegian Cruise Line), Karen Sequeira (Marketing Director, UKI Israel, Middle East & Africa at Norwegian Cruise Line) and Sarah Harvey from Wild in Art.

The event was also attended by Vivian Achwal, Mayor of Winchester, and her husband Dr Sudhaker Achwal.

Hares of Hampshire will be a spectacular public art trail and will form part of the largest outdoor art installation that Winchester and Southampton have ever seen. The 30 larger than life brightly painted Hare statues will pop up separately at different locations across the two cities from June 16 until September 4, 2022.

For 10 weeks, Winchester and Southampton streets, parks and public spaces will be brought to life with the exhibition of these magnificent hares. Each giant sculpture will be sponsored by a business and individually designed by local artists, showcasing the wealth of artistic talent the county has to offer - while positively contributing to the economic, cultural and social life of the area.

Smaller, baby hare sculptures, Leverets, will be available to all schools and youth groups across Hampshire as part of the Little Leverets Learning Programme. Participating organisations will be able to design their Leveret ready to be displayed across the cities alongside the larger Hares.

Residents and visitors to the cities will be able to hop on the free, fun, family-friendly trail of discovery to find the Hares using an interactive app. The app will map out the route allowing everyone to explore some of Winchester’s famous landmarks including Winchester Cathedral, the Great Hall, Abbey Grounds, River Park and Southampton’s Guildhall Square, QE2 Mile and Cultural Quarter. As explorers visit each uniquely decorated Hare or Leveret, the app will allow users to receive special offers or discounts from the sponsor as well as display information about the artist, fun facts about the hare and its location.

The Hares of Hampshire event hopes to raise awareness and funds for local charity, The Murray Parish Trust, which was founded in 2014 by actors Sarah Parish and James Murray in memory of their late daughter who sadly died in 2009 due to a congenital heart condition.

Sarah Parish, actor and co-founder of the trust, said: “On May 3 2009, the day that would have marked Ella-Jayne’s first birthday, I was filled with a grief that I could not shake. I got on my bike and went for a cycle to try and clear my head and in a nearby field I spotted a young Hare, a leveret. I got off my bike, climbed over the fence and walked slowly towards it. It didn’t move, just calmly locked its gaze on me. As we stood staring at each other I was filled with the most euphoric happiness, suddenly everything that had happened in the last 12 months slotted into place….. New beginnings are often disguised as painful endings, Ella-Jayne would live on through the charity we founded in her memory. The Murray Parish Trust.”

The Hampshire based charity has raised several million pounds towards facilities and equipment for critically ill or injured children at University Hospital Southampton.

One project included fundraising for a state-of-the-art Children’s Emergency and Trauma Department which opened its doors in late 2019 and is now fully operational treating thousands of children from across the South of England each year. Their latest appeal is to raise £2.1million to fund a revolutionary iMRI Suite at Southampton Children's Hospital.

Jim Murray, actor and co-founder of the trust, said: “Hares are a poignant symbol of the continuation of life, positivity and regeneration. It was fantastic to welcome local businesses and leaders to our first in person event to showcase the campaign. We’re delighted to have BECG, Norwegian Cruise Lines and Williams Shipping as partners for the campaign. There are still some great opportunities for businesses to hop on board, whether that is becoming our presenting partner, sponsoring one of the Hares or becoming a lead partner on our learning programme there’s so many ways to get involved!

"We can’t wait to see a drove of hare sculptures bringing new life and optimism to the city’s streets in Summer 2022.”

 BECG, local built environment and placemaking experts is Creative Partner, Norwegian Cruise Line is a Presenting Partner and Williams Shipping and Transport is Logistics Partner.

To learn more, visit www.haresofhampshire.co.uk where you will find information on the sponsorship packages, learner programme, and opportunities for artists. Alternatively, email info@haresofhampshire.co.uk