Giraffe sculpture trail leaves a towering legacy with a big impact on local economy and charity

July 31, 2024

Break, the charity behind this spring’s Cambridge Standing Tall sculpture trail is pleased to announce that this year’s event went above and beyond – not only for the charity, raising over £140,000, but also for the local economy generating an estimated £3.6m for the area.

The charity’s evaluation of the trail, carried out by Zing Insights, saw an estimated 190,000 visits to see the colourful herd.  The evaluation has also been able to look at how much people potentially spent whilst seeing the sculptures, with over half saying it encouraged them to discovering attractions or places they’d never been to before. On average visitors spent 2.4 days in the city, and a number also stayed over-night, with many spending an extra day in Cambridge as a result of the trail.

As well as the economic impact, the trail also made a significant social impact with over 90% of visitors saying the trail improved their sense of health and wellbeing, encouraging them to get outdoors. Many agreed it was a fun day out with friends and family, highlighting that the best things were the range of different designs, seeing the giraffes amongst the stunning architecture, and discovering new places around the city. And 95% of those who visited the trail would like see one return in the future.

“It’s wonderful to know that it was so positively received, not just for Break but for Cambridge and the surrounding areas as well,” comments Cambridge Standing Tall Project Manager Peter Marron. “From the evaluation we can see that people really made the most of the trail. They not only discovered all our gentle giants but also took time to explore the other places and venues this wonderful city has to offer. The trail is there for everyone of all ages to enjoy and we love that it’s brought friends and families together and that it is helped other businesses and the local economy. We’ve raised an fantastic amount this year for Break and we’d like to thank everyone who visited our colourful herd!”

Delivered by Break in partnership with Wild in Art, Cambridge BID and Alan Boswell Group, the trail took place for ten weeks from 21 March to the 2nd June with 31 beautifully decorated giraffe sculptures across the city, all sponsored by a local business and designed by an established national or regional artist. Alongside them were over 60 Mini Gs, each created by local schools and community groups as part of the trails Learning and Community programme, designed to spark young people’s creativity which have been returned to them as a momento of the trail.

All money raised from the trail will help the charity to continue their vital work with the county’s young care leavers who, at just 18, have to leave the care system often with little or no support. Working across Cambridgeshire, the charity makes sure they have the lifelong family support they need to enjoy a bright and successful future.