Published on: Monday 27 Jul 2026 at 14:10
Something exciting has arrived on the streets and green spaces of Harlow, Epping and Loughton!
As of Friday 24 July, St Clare Hospice was delighted to announce the start of Lions on the Loose, its amazing free public art trail, which will raise funds for the local charity and create a sense of community spirit and pride. The trail is brought to you by St Clare Hospice in partnership with global art producers Wild in Art.
Rosie Knowles, St Clare Hospice Deputy CEO, said: “This free art trail has been many months in the making, and we are incredibly excited to finally share all the lion sculptures with you. Local people will be waking up this morning to a whole pride of lions, after 63 sculptures were installed overnight across Harlow, Epping and Loughton. These include a bespoke football–themed lion, signed by football legend Geoff Hurst, celebrating both the England Three Lions and the Lionesses. Each of the 63 sculptures has been beautifully decorated by an artist, school or community group, with the result being a truly breathtaking burst of creativity and colour!
“The trail also includes a specially commissioned St Clare Hospice lion with a Care Bears™ design from Cloudco Entertainment. The mix of the strength of a lion and the caring, nurturing nature of the Care Bears was a perfect match for our St Clare Hospice lion sculpture. Do look out for him on the trail.
“We hope thousands of people across the area will come along with us on this adventure and visit as many sculptures as they can. To help them on their way, we have launched a Lions on the Loose app where you can log each lion you find, vote for your favourite design and unlock rewards from the trail sponsors. These range from an annual Family Merlin Pass (worth £960) to bee bomb seed packets to an iPad! We also have lots of exciting merchandise on sale in our charity shops to complement the trail, including art items, a soft lion toy and a printed trail map.
“You can take home a piece of the trail and buy your own mini lion soft toy, colouring books, and painting sets for the kids from any of our charity shops across West Essex, and of course our paper trail maps to help you find all the sculptures are available there too.
“This trail will help us raise vital funds for hospice care at a time when St Clare Hospice is under increasing financial pressure to continue providing specialist end–of–life care to all those who need it, at the most difficult of times. This is a fun and active way to support your local hospice, and we hope you enjoy the trail and share your photos on social media.
“At the end of the trail, from 19–20 September, all the lions will come together in one place for the only time, at Passmores Academy in Harlow. This will be your chance to unlock any rewards you missed and grab a selfie with your favourite lion. Then, on 24 September, each beautiful sculpture will be auctioned at Saint Nicholas school in Harlow to raise money for the hospice and find its forever home.
“You can find out more about the trail at lionsontheloose.co.uk and by following Lions on the Loose on social media. Please join us in making this trail a roar–some success!”
Lions on the Loose is proudly sponsored by Harlow Health Centres Trust, Harlow Council and Epping Forest District Council – working together for the good of our local communities.
Charlie Langhorne, Managing Director and Co–founder of Wild in Art, said: “It’s fantastic to see the Lions on the Loose trail come to life across Harlow, Epping and Loughton. The sculptures will bring vibrancy, artistic flair and a real sense of joy to the area, and I have no doubt they will capture everyone’s imagination. This trail is a brilliant way for people to explore their local communities, discover inspiring public art, and support the vital work of St Clare Hospice at the same time.”
Katie Wilkinson, Licensing Lead, UK at Cloudco Entertainment, said: “Care Bears was built on the belief that caring has the power to change things, and St Clare Hospice lives that every single day. Being part of the Lions on the Loose trail feels like exactly the right way to mark nearly 45 years of that mission. This trail is a wonderful example of our characters and brand values being put into action for something that really matters.”