Thames Hospice is celebrating today after its much-anticipated Herd under the Hammer charity
auction raised more than £240,000 in one unforgettable evening, helping fund vital hospice care for
people and families across East Berkshire and South Buckinghamshire.
More than 130 guests gathered at De Vere Beaumont Estate and a further 140 bidders joined
online for a spectacular evening of art, generosity and celebration, as the Trunks across the
Thames elephants found their forever homes.
The auction, led by Harry Ballin of Windsor Auctions on Thursday 15 October, brought together
supporters, sponsors, artists, partners and Hospice colleagues for a special evening marking the
culmination of the Trunks across the Thames public art trail.
Thames Hospice Chief Executive Dr Rachael de Caux welcomed everyone, and Hospice
Ambassador Sandra Jeffs shared the moving story of her son Michael, who was cared for by the
Hospice team. Sandra’s heartfelt words were a powerful reminder of the difference that
compassionate hospice care makes to families when they need it most.
Among the evening’s highlights were McLaren’s mini elephant Elenorris, signed by Lando Norris,
which sold for £20,000, and the trail’s most visited sculpture, Stomp to Attention, which sold for
£12,000. An original watercolour by acclaimed author and illustrator Charlie Mackesy was also a
highlight of the auction.
The generosity continued with a standing ovation for nurses, Sara and Emma, who spoke from the
heart about why every pound raised from the auction will help ensure local people and their
families can continue to access specialist care and support when they need it.
Dr Rachael de Caux, CEO of Thames Hospice, said:
“What an incredible evening. It was wonderful to see so many people come together to celebrate
the extraordinary generosity that has made this project possible. Raising more than £240,000 at
the auction alone is an amazing achievement, and we are so grateful to everyone who has played
a part. It was a truly memorable evening, and we cannot wait to share the final fundraising total for
Trunks across the Thames.”
Launched in July in partnership with Wild in Art, Trunks across the Thames transformed Slough,
Windsor, Eton and Maidenhead into an outdoor gallery, with a colourful herd of large and miniature
elephant sculptures created by professional artists, schools and community groups. Over nine
weeks, the free trail encouraged thousands of people to explore their local area, discover the
sculptures and connect with Thames Hospice.
While the elephants are now heading to their forever homes, the impact of Trunks across the
Thames will continue long after the trail has ended.
The final total raised by Trunks across the Thames will be announced soon – stay tuned!
About Trunks across the Thames
Trunks across the Thames was a free public art trail organised by Thames Hospice in partnership
with Wild in Art, running across Windsor, Eton, Maidenhead and Slough during summer 2026.
The nine-week trail featured 91 large and miniature elephant sculptures decorated by professional
artists, schools and community groups, culminating in the Herd under the Hammer charity auction
on 15 October 2026.
About Thames Hospice
Proudly serving the community of East Berkshire and South Buckinghamshire since 1987, Thames
Hospice is an established healthcare charity providing complex, specialist palliative and end-of-life
care for people aged 16 and over living with a life-limiting condition, as well as support for their
families and carers.
Our vision is quality of life to the end of life, for everyone, and our purpose is to deliver
compassionate, personalised care that enables people to live with dignity, comfort and choice in
their preferred place of care.
Today, we serve a population of over 500,000 people. Our team of more than 385 employees,
supported by over 1,000 volunteers, delivers care across the Hospice and in patients’ homes. Last
year, 2614 people received care and support from Thames Hospice.
Demand for our services continues to grow, driven by an ageing population with increasingly
complex needs. We are committed to improving access to our services so that more people and
families can benefit from the care we provide, while maintaining high-quality, responsive support
delivered by our multidisciplinary teams.
Our services include Inpatient Services within our 28-bed inpatient centre, Hospice at Home
services delivered in partnership with local healthcare professionals, outpatient and wellbeing
services in our Paul Bevan Wellbeing Centre, and counselling, pastoral and bereavement support
for patients and families.
All our services are provided free of charge. However, unlike the NHS, we are not fully government
funded. We receive a contribution from NHS England and other statutory bodies but rely heavily on
the generosity of our local community through donations, fundraising, volunteering, and income
from our charity retail stores. Each day, we need to raise £44,000 to fund our services.
For more information about our work, to make a donation, access our services or join our team,
please visit www.thameshospice.org.uk
About Wild in Art
Wild in Art is the leading producer of spectacular public art events that entertain, enrich, inform and
leave a lasting legacy. Connecting businesses, the creative sector, education and community, Wild
in Art brings people together through the creation of uniquely designed, artist-painted sculptures.
Since 2008, Wild in Art has animated cities across five continents, delivering world-class art trails
that transform places, drive economic impact and make art accessible to all.
Wild in Art events have:
• Enabled over £30.3m to be raised for charitable causes
• Injected £5.7m into local creative communities
• Engaged over 1.6 million young people in learning programmes
• Helped millions of people of all ages to experience art in non-traditional settings
wildinart.co.uk | @wildinart | #wildinart
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