Marlborough Highways is proud to support North London Hospice with their brand-new public art trail, the Big Fun Art Adventure. Taking place this summer, Marlborough is sponsoring one of 30 giant owl sculptures, which will hide in plain sight on the streets and in the parks of North London.

The 30 five-foot-tall owls have been created for the trail by professional artists and will sit alongside a parliament of 30 smaller owlets, which have been designed by local schools and community groups.

Running for eight weeks until mid-October, the free art trail will help to raise money for charity, while inspiring residents and visitors to discover areas they have not explored before.

Left: Artist Michelle Sutton working on the Park Life owl design
Right: Marlborough’s Jo Marshall and Nick Reading pose with Park Life alongside the Mayor of Barnet

Through our Term Maintenance Contracts, we have long been proud to serve the London Borough of Haringey, and the London Borough of Barnet. North London Hospice is a wonderful charity providing free palliative nursing and medical care to adults and children living in these boroughs, with complex or incurable conditions. The Big Fun Art Adventure will help to generate vital funds in support of their incredible work.

Marlborough’s owl is called Park Life, and was created by the talented artist Michelle Sutton. Her sculpture shows the variety of wildlife that can be found in the parks of North London, while highlighting the importance of looking after urban green spaces. With flora and fauna on the front depicting daytime, and nocturnal animal species on the back representing night-time, Park Life is a fun and thought-provoking piece, which aligns with Marlborough’s commitment to biodiversity and sustainability.

Artist, Michelle Sutton commented, “The idea of Park Life is to show the important part our urban parks can play in conservation and just how biodiverse they are. By including a nightlife scene on the back of the sculpture, I wanted to highlight the more secretive wildlife that people might not be aware exists and lives around us.”

Anna Cooper, Director of Fundraising and Communications at the North London Hospice said: “We are so grateful to every one of our sponsors for supporting our Big Fun Art Adventure. Our sculpture trail is a unique opportunity for us to raise awareness of the vital support we provide to our community, and it is also a chance for local artists and businesses to showcase their brilliant work too. Like Marlborough Highways, we are proud to serve our local communities and it is through partnerships like this that we can realise our vision of providing the best of life, at the end of life, for everyone.”

Above: ‘Park Life’ on the lower path at Alexandra Palace

Matthew Revell, Managing Director at Marlborough Highways added, “We are excited to sponsor the Big Fun Art Adventure, with the owls set to bring joy and to inspire all those who see them. This initiative not only brings vibrant art into our community but also supports the North London Hospice, an organisation that delivers amazing work every day. As an organisation that is committed to delivering positive change in the communities we serve, I couldn’t be prouder of our involvement in the project.”

For further information and to download the trail map, visit Big Fun Art Adventure 2024 | North London Hospice.