Your last chance to see the Bears of Sheffield before the Auction.

Sheffield’s very own Bear Trail took to the streets on 12th July 2021, just in time for the lifting of UK Lockdown restrictions and the start of school summer holidays.

The Bears of Sheffield follows in the pawprints of the enormously successful Herd of Sheffield in 2016, a city-wide sculpture trail which raised an astonishing £410,600 in support of Sheffield Children’s Hospital. Five years on, 61 Big Bears and 100 Little Bears arrived in the Steel City, this time to transform the Cancer and Leukaemia Ward.

The Big Bears have been brought to life by professional artists locally and internationally, while the Little Bears are the loving handiwork of schools across the region. Each one has also been sponsored by generous businesses and individuals. These bears were scattered city-wide in some of Sheffield’s most iconic locations, ready for the public to discover.

In addition to the iconic Sculpture Trail, money has been raised in all sorts of ways. These include sponsorship challenges, bake sales, buying merchandise, and taking part in the challenging Bear-athon challenge.

Back in July, our Photography & Marketing Department embarked on a marathon of their own. They raced around the city and filmed each and every Big Bear to produce a video to promote the Children’s Hospital Charity. Take a look at the end result…

Although the bears have left their positions, the trail isn’t over yet as there are still several exciting events still to come.

Head over to Meadowhall for the Bears of Sheffield Farewell Weekend, which runs from 14th–17th October. This event is your last chance to see all the Big Bears in one place before their final send-off. The Little Bears will be returned to their schools for them to keep and enjoy for years to come.

The Bears of Sheffield Auction will take place on Monday 18th October at Crucible Theatre and will see all 60 Big Bear Sculptures auctioned off to loving homes. This exciting tradition follows in the footprints of the Herd of Sheffield in 2016, when over £400,000 was raised on the night.

If you are unable to make it to the event but would like to bid on a Bear, you can email sculptures@tchc.org.uk and a member of the charity team will be able to assist you with this.