NEVILLE SOLD AT AUCTION

I was once again honoured to be selected to take part in a Wild In Art Trail event, as one of the artists for GoGoSafari, an unforgettable sculpture trail in support of Break, a charity helping young people across East Anglia.

Neville the Navigator — my eight-foot-tall giraffe — arrived in the early hours just after Christmas. My husband, half asleep, raced downstairs thinking it was the wine fridge he’d ordered… alas, it was a giraffe!

To enter the competition, I needed to design something unique, so I created over 100 illustrations celebrating all things Norfolk and Norwich — from its architecture and landmarks to its events and local characters. I first created a realistic giraffe patch pattern using newspaper and wrapping paper, designed the shapes on the computer and filled each shape with brightly coloured illustrations. The end result was realistic yet surreal — a vibrant patchwork of the region.

Once complete, Neville was carefully packed into a van bound for Norwich… only for disaster to strike when someone drove into the back of it! Luckily, the incredible @theduckorator (Sally Adams) came to the rescue, repairing the damage beautifully. I drove to Norwich to help make good, and before long, Neville was back to his best — ready to take his place outside Chantry Place, proudly guiding visitors through the safari trail with his explorer’s charm.

After a summer of safari adventures, the trail animals gathered once more for the GoGoSafari Charity Auction, held at Saxon Air, Norwich and hosted by ITV’s Becky Jago and Chris Page, with celebrity auctioneer Natasha Raskin Sharp. It was a night of fierce bidding, big smiles, and huge generosity — raising an incredible £290,200 for Break, supporting young people in and leaving care across East Anglia. Neville himself raised £4,800, and together the project brought in over £380,000.

A massive thank you to @breakcharity, the GoGoTrails team, my wonderful sponsors @first_bus_east_of_england, and my ever-patient husband whose wine fridge did finally arrive!

Such an exciting project to be part of — a perfect mix of creativity, community, and a great cause.