Elmer the elephant paid a visit to an Ipswich barbers before their unique sculpture arrives.
Francesco’s, in St Matthew’s Street near Ipswich town centre, is sponsoring an elephant as part of the art trail coming to the county this summer in support of St Elizabeth Hospice.
It will be one of dozens of businesses, including legal firm Birketts and the Sailmakers Shopping Centre, hosting a one-of-a-kind statue designed by a local artist.
Business owner Francesco De Lellis said: “We’re really excited to be part of the trail this year.
“The thing we noticed most about the last one was how it brought the community together and we wanted to be part of that this time.
“We picked the design and the artist is actually one of the nurses who works for the charity.
“The fact that the artist works so closely with the hospice, helping local people, is just really important to us.”
The trail follows the success of the Pigs Gone Wild art trail in 2016, with some popular sculptures from the event still on display in town, such as Ipswich Building Society’s pig near King’s Street.
For now, the latest Elmer’s identity remains a closely guarded secret - but the team at the barbers got to pose with the original Elmer before the big announcement later in 2019.
Mr De Lellis added that the business is planning even more fundraising activity for the hospice this year and customers can look forward to more information on these in the coming weeks.
Norman Lloyd, campaign manager for Elmer’s Big Parade Suffolk, said: “Francesco’s Hair Salon is a bit of an Ipswich institution and it is great for us to have them involved in the campaign.
“It is great that the whole family is so enthusiastic and we know the match up with their artist, who is also one of our hospice nurses, is going to work really well.”
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