Clan Cancer Support has won a tourism award for its sculpture trail which raised more than £200,000 for the charity and will be judged against the biggest events in the country at the national final.
The Big Hop Trail was named the Outstanding Cultural Event or Festival at the 2024 Aberdeen City and Shire Thistle Awards, with judges impressed by the legacy created by the event’s Education programme and its social media engagement.
The Aberdeen City and Shire Thistle Awards celebrate the best of the region’s tourism and hospitality industry. Organised by industry professionals, the awards recognise excellence across 15 categories, ranging from Best Bar or Pub to Best Outdoor or Adventure Experience.
Clan will now progress to the Scottish Thistle Awards National Final in November at The Hilton, Glasgow, facing competition from major event organisers across Scotland.
Regional competitions are still in the process of taking place with finalists including The Royal Military Tattoo, The Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, Celtic Connections, Glasgow Film Festival and the Orkney Folk Festival,
Fiona Fernie, Clan’s CEO, said: “Receiving this award is a huge honour for our team and highlights the impact the third sector can have when we collaborate with local businesses to give something back to the communities which we serve.
“I’d like to thank the Clan team who worked tirelessly throughout The Big Hop Trail project, our sponsors who made the event possible, the amazing artists who brought the sculptures to life and of course the trailgoers who supported us every step of the way.
“We are now looking forward to being represented on the national stage later this year amongst some of greatest and most established events in the country and whatever happens that night, we will leave that event incredibly proud of what The Big Hop Trail achieved.”
The Big Hop Trail, sponsored by Hellmann Worldwide Logistics, was delivered by Clan Cancer Support in partnership with Wild in Art during summer 2023.
More than 240,000 participants used a dedicated app to ‘collect’ 40 individually designed hare sculptures across the north-east, Moray, Orkney and Shetland while the trail was live.
The sculptures were then sold at auction with all proceeds used to support vital services for people of all ages across the North-east, Moray, Orkney and Shetland.
Following the success of The Big Hop Trail, Clan launched The BookBench Trail, sponsored by Bilfinger and Hellmann Worldwide Logistics, which is due to take place in summer 2025.
The BookBench sculpture depicts an open book, selected because of Clan’s lifeline listening support service which enables anyone impacted by a cancer diagnosis to open up and tell their story.
The charity hopes the sculpture, which is 1.4 metres wide and can seat two adults, will encourage people to take time to reflect on their wellbeing as they enjoy discovering artwork on the trail when its live from July – September next year.
Fiona Fernie added: “Sculpture trails have been hugely important to us over the past few years. They raised a significant amount of income as we recovered from the pandemic and helped us engage with our communities across the regions we serve.
“This award win has further cemented their value within our region and we look forward to working with more local businesses to bring another vibrant and inspirational event to our communities next summer.”
For more information about The BookBench Trail please visit: https://www.clancancersupport.org/the-book-bench-trail