A SPECIAL delivery of giraffe sculptures have arrived in Worcester.

The 8ft-tall fibreglass sculptures and their smaller relations are being collected by artists and schools to be decorated with colourful artwork – before going on display for the Worcester Stands Tall trail.

A St Richard's Hospice fundraiser, the project will see the giraffes throughout the city’s streets, open spaces and Crowngate Shopping Centre for 10 weeks from July 9 to September 16.

 Artists will decorate the large sculptures, while schools and community groups will cover the calves in imaginative designs.

 Collecting her sculpture yesterday (Friday) was mosaic artist Alison Turner, from Bearwood near Birmingham.

 “I’m absolutely over the moon to be selected to do a project like this for a good cause,” she said. “I’m so excited.”

 Also collecting sculptures on Friday were other artists and representatives from schools across the county.

 Sara Matthews, project manager for Worcester Stands Tall, said: “It was so exciting to see all our lovely sculptures arrive. They looked so impressive, even all wrapped up.

 “Artists and schools are now collecting their sculptures and will begin decorating them. We just can’t wait to see snippets of their work as it unfolds.”

 Worcester Stands Tall is a Wild in Art project brought to the city by St Richard’s Hospice. Each sculpture has been funded by sponsors and event partners.

 The large sculptures will be auctioned this October to raise money for the St Richard’s Hospice Build 2020 Appeal. The smaller sculptures will be returned to the schools and groups which decorated them, as a memento.

 The appeal aims to raise the final £1.4million needed to build a bigger hospice, enabling more patients and families to be cared for in Worcestershire.

 The total cost for expanding and redeveloping the existing building in Wildwood Drive, Worcester, is £5.3million. For more information about Build 2020 visit strichards.org.uk/build2020

See worcesterstandstall.co.uk for more on the trail, or search Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.