HUNDREDS of thousands of pounds was raised for St Richard's Hospice as 41 penguins sculptures went under the hammer at auction.

Following the Waddle of Worcester trail across the city during the summer, 40 large penguin sculptures and one baby penguin sculpture were auctioned off, raising £330,000 for St Richard's Hospice.

The auction total fell slightly short of the £368,800 raised by the Big Parade auction of elephant sculptures held in 2021.

However, a spokesperson for St Richard's Hospice said: "While an incredible £330,000 was raised at auction last night (Thursday, October 24), we still have the fundraising totals from the shop, raffle sales and other community fundraisers to come.

"We can say with confidence that this will be our most successful trail to date in terms of funds raised and can only thank our amazing community for that."

Amongst the winning bidders were Jonathon and Carrie-Ann Dew, who spent £44,500 on five penguin sculptures.

It adds to a collection which includes five Big Parade elephants and two giraffe sculptures from the previous two auctions held by St Richard's Hospice.

Mrs Dew said: "We didn't have any particular plans before the auction, we weren't sure what would happen.

"But ultimately it isn't about the penguins themselves, it's more about the charity and the personal experience we have had with St Richard's Hospice."

The 40 large and one small penguin sculpture auctioned off by St Richard's Hospice ultimately raised £330,000 for the charity. (Image: Newsquest) Read how the Waddle of Worcester auction unfolded.

Gemma Parsons, who owns GLP Training in Worcester, purchased two penguins on the night.

Miss Parsons said: "We wanted to get a sculpture and one of them is an apprenticeship penguin of sorts which really reflects what we do.

"The other was my children's favourite!"

Sara Matthews, business development manager at St Richard's Hospice, was delighted with the auction. She said: "It has been amazing, the generosity of people has been overwhelming.

"Just knowing that these penguins are going to loving homes and that they can be enjoyed for years to come is really beautiful.

On the impact of the Waddle of Worcester trail, Ms Matthews added: "It's bigger than St Richard's Hospice.

"It impacts the whole of the city, and it draws people from all over the country to visit Worcester and it's a really important part of the city's tourism."