Giving It Some Welly for Nelly!

Leighton Park is delighted to announce its participation in Trunks Across the Thames, Thames Hospice’s first-ever public art trail, taking place in summer 2026.

The ambitious project will see a herd of 50 baby elephant sculptures positioned along the Thames between Staines and Windsor, raising vital funds for hospice care while celebrating creativity and community spirit.

Leighton Park’s Art students and Scholars will play a central role in bringing the project to life. The school has adopted one of the baby elephant sculptures, which students will design and decorate as a collaborative artwork. Year 10 artists have already been developing and refining new techniques, beginning with dry point etching inspired by a wide range of majestic elephant imagery. These designs have evolved into bold, graphic lino prints, with the aim of selling reproduced prints through the School Library to support the fundraising effort.

Fundraising began last term with a festive launch at the Christmas Fair, where the ‘Guess the Sweets in the Boot and Win the Loot’ competition marked the first steps towards the £1,300 fundraising target. This term, the whole community is being encouraged to “give it some welly for Nelly” with a series of themed events, including a sponsored Welly Wang, where Houses compete to see who can hurl a welly boot the furthest.

Creativity across year groups has also been a key feature of the project. Year 8 CAS students in Art and Textiles have joined forces with Year 9 Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award participants to ‘crochet away’, producing a vibrant collection of crocheted elephant badges in every colour under Nelly’s rainbow.

Through art, teamwork and a healthy dose of fun, Leighton Park is proud to support Trunks Across the Thames, placing student creativity at the heart of a meaningful charitable endeavour that will leave a lasting impact both locally and along the Thames.

Learn more about our creative arts here! 

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