Baby hippos stamp into schools

Schools across Rutherglen and Cambuslang will be invaded by baby hippos as part of The BIG Stampede.

An art trail, the Big Stampede will see a herd of elephants, tower of giraffes, pride of lions, band of gorillas and crash of rhinos stampede into Hamilton in summer of 2017 to raise funds for Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity.

As part of the project — organised by Hamilton Business Improvement District, in partnership with Wild in Art — youngsters will decorate baby hippo sculptures which will go on display on the trail.

Twelve schools and nurseries across Rutherglen and Cambuslang have signed up to take part including Calderwood Primary School, Glenburgh Nursery Centre and Park View Primary School.

As well as a hippo sculpture, schools will receive a selection of education resources spanning a number of areas of the curriculum, from numeracy, literacy and art to conservation and the environment.

Gareth Walker, Hamilton BID, said: “The BIG Stampede is all about inspiring locals, businesses and tourists to celebrate the creativity of the area so to be able to capture the imagination of so many young people is fantastic.”

The schools’hippos will join a trail of larger safari sculptures that will be brought to life by local and national artists. At the end of the event, each large safari sculpture will be auctioned with profits going to Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity.