Colourful and unique designs for an exciting new outdoor trail have been chosen by local businesses.

The Shaun the Sheep in the Heart of Kent trail will see 50 sculptures pop up in and around Maidstone town centre between Saturday, June 29 and Friday, August 30 2024.

Earlier this month, businesses, sponsors and partners gathered at the Maidstone Museum to choose their favourite designs to be featured in the eye-catching art trail.

The selected designs, which were submitted by artists from across Kent and the UK, will be painted onto the blank Shaun the Sheep sculptures in time for the summer trail next year.

The visitors were welcomed to the museum by members of the Heart of Kent Hospice, including Chief Executive Rachel Street and Director of Income Generation Ann-Marie Kelly.

The Aylesford-based charity is organising the free trail alongside Wild in Art, Maidstone Borough Council and Aardman, the studio where the lovable character was first created.

The family-friendly trail will be open during the school holidays and is an ideal way to show young visitors around the county town.

Once the trail closes, the sculptures will then be sold at an auction event to help raise money for the Heart of Kent Hospice.

The art display follows on from 2021’s Elmer’s Big Heart of Kent Parade, which included colourful sculptures of Elmer in many of Maidstone’s streets and parks and raised more than £300,000 for the hospice.

There’s still time to sponsor some of the remaining Shaun the Sheep sculptures before the trail opens.

To find out more about sponsorship opportunities and to request a sponsorship pack, contact Erica Snow at the Heart of Kent Hospice on 07596 856667.

You can also visit www.shaunheartofkent.co.uk/sponsors for more information and to keep up with all the latest news.

You can also follow the trail on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram using the hashtag #ShauninMaidstone.