*UPDATE: Please note that Odin Events confirmed on 21 June that 100% of proceeds raised through the Key Worker Otter online auction will go to Winchester Hospice. Previously, proceeds were to be shared between Odin Events which have provided the Otters, and the Hospice. Thank you to Odin Events for their generosity.
Winchester Business Improvement District (BID) is proud to be bringing the local business community together to show its appreciation for all key workers by hosting a COVID-safe Otter Trail, a free city-wide trail taking place from Saturday 22 May to Wednesday 30 June.
Across Winchester city centre, participating businesses will display a Key Worker Otter in their windows and a brightly coloured window sticker showing a QR code which can be used to access more information about the trail as well as a map of Otter locations. Winchester businesses want to say thank you to all key workers, by hosting a Key Worker Otter, for their incredible hard work over the last challenging year.
Participants can download The Otter Trail map to help them explore the city centre and a full list of Otter locations is also available.
There are 30 Key Worker Otters in total kindly provided by Odin Events, which will be located around the city, each with their own identity from a variety of different key worker roles including doctors, nurses, teachers, police, military and many more.
During this event participants, businesses and the wider local community will be able to bid to buy an individual Key Worker Otter via an online auction and funds raised will be donated to the Winchester Hospice. To access the online auction simply scan the QR code on the brightly coloured window stickers and follow the instructions, or visit winchesterhospice.com to find out more or go direct to the auction website.
Nick Vaughan, Chair of Winchester Hospice Fundraising Charity, said: “Thank you to our friends at Winchester BID for supporting Winchester Hospice through the Key Worker Otter Trail. This is a brilliant idea, and it is a great tribute to the key workers who have made such a difference during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thank you to all the Winchester businesses who support The Otter Trail, and we look forward to raising vital funds for the Hospice when we auction off the Otters at the end of the event. The conversion of Burrell House into Winchester Hospice is going well, as is the fundraising campaign, and we are looking forward to being able to open the doors of Winchester Hospice in the summer.”
Sarah Davis, Business Improvement District Manager at Winchester BID said: “We are so pleased and proud to be able to deliver this trail that celebrates the extraordinary lengths that key workers have gone to over the past year as well as raising funds for such an important new local charity.”
If you are taking part in the trail, please share the “Otterly” amazing family fun and use #OtterTrailWinch in your social media posts. Participants can follow Winchester BID on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest updates.
Thank you key workers from the Winchester business community.
