A much-awaited public art trail featuring colourful Snoopy sculptures has arrived in Porthcawl to raise money for Dogs Trust.
Six supersized statues depicting Charlie Brown’s trusty sidekick from the cartoon strip Peanuts will be located in key locations around the town from today (8 April) until 5 June 2022.
Each statue has been uniquely decorated by local artists with the addition of 12 mini-Snoopy sculptures created by schools including include Brynmenyn Primary, Brynteg School, Afon y Felin Primary, Tondu Primary, St Mary’s and St Patrick’s RC Primary, Ysgol Cynwyd Sant, Maesteg School, Nottage Primary, Abercerdin Primary, Coety Primary, Pencoed Primary, and Cwmfelin Primary.
The mini statues will be displayed in ‘packs’ at indoor locations across Porthcawl including at the harbour, Rest Bay Watersports Centre and Grand Pavilion.
Gwyn Francis teaches a Year Four class at Abercerdin Primary School and spoke of his pupils’ excitement at the launch of the trail.
He said: “The class have been really engaged in the activity from day one. They’re all dog lovers so we spent a bit of time talking about dog welfare before we started the project.
“In our literacy class one day we were talking about what a perfect planet would look like after reading a story about people who discovered a chocolate planet – then we thought it might be a good artwork for our Snoopy sculpture, so our theme is ‘Perfect Planet’.”
Abercerdin Primary School’s mini sculpture can be found outside the café in Rest Bay and Mr Francis says his class are “very excited” to go and see it.
Visitors to the town will be able to locate each of the colourful artworks and take advantage of special offers from businesses along the trial using the Dog’s Trail app.
Rebecca Staden, project manager of A Dog’s Trail with Snoopy, said: “We are so excited to finally unleash our Snoopy sculptures across south Wales and can’t wait to see everyone out there exploring over the next eight weeks.
“A Dog’s Trail will offer everyone, two and four-legged, a fabulous day out and will get people exploring parts of south Wales they may not have visited before, while helping to support the care we provide to thousands of dogs across south Wales each year.
Over several months now, the local authority has been working closely with the Dog’s Trust, which has a rehoming centre based near Penyfai, to host the mini-trail in Porthcawl as an extension of the main trail in Cardiff.
It’s a brilliant opportunity for the visitor economy in Porthcawl and will also help the local economy while benefiting a fantastic charity which already has links to the county borough.
Janine Nightingale, Corporate Director for Communities
Sponsors for the Porthcawl event include Bridgend College who have sponsored the Snoopy sculpture called Kintsugi which will be located in front of the Grand Pavilion and First Cymru Buses whose Snoopy sculpture, Happy Little Clouds, will be located in the band stand on John Street.
A spokesman for First Cymru Buses said: “We are thrilled to be sponsoring one of the very first Snoopy sculptures to ever set paws on a UK trail.
“This is a great opportunity to explore the beautiful Porthcawl and support a great cause while you’re at it.”
A spokeswoman for Bridgend College said: “We are excited to be sponsoring this fantastic initiative in Porthcawl.
“We are proud to support a cause which will make a difference in our community, while encouraging people to explore our beautiful surroundings and have fun at the same time.”
Similar trails will also be available to visit in Caerphilly and Cardiff as well as Porthcawl.
When the trail ends, the sculptures will be auctioned at a special event in Cardiff on 21 June to support the work of Dogs Trust. There will be a final chance to see all 40 large Snoopy sculptures together at a farewell event at Cardiff City Hall Lawn from 16-19 June.
