Most people visiting ellenor’s We’re Going on a Bear Hunt Art Trail this summer will never think about the wooden plinths beneath the sculptures.

Their eyes will be drawn to the bears.

The artwork. The colours. The stories they tell.

But the real story began long before the bears arrived in Dartford.

It starts at EKC Training Eastchurch, a prison education centre based alongside HMP Standford Hill on the Isle of Sheppey.

This summer, thousands of people will explore ellenor’s We’re Going on a Bear Hunt Art Trail across Dartford. But few will realise that some of the structures supporting the bears were built by learners developing practical skills that could help shape their futures.

For Danny Walder, Head of Eastchurch Campus, the project is about far more than building plinths. It is about creating opportunities.

“We don’t see people as prisoners when they come here,” says Danny. “We see them as learners.”

When Danny joined Eastchurch 10 years ago, the building was largely derelict. Today, it is home to workshops, classrooms and training facilities.

Much of it was built by the very people who learned there.

“Everything at Eastchurch has been built by the prisoners and the staff,” says Danny. “The classrooms, the workshops, everything has been built alongside doing their qualifications. We’re really proud of that.”

Today, Eastchurch delivers vocational training in carpentry, plumbing, bricklaying, electrical installation, rail engineering and employability skills. Learners gain recognised qualifications while developing practical skills to help them secure employment when they return to the community.

As part of this, EKC Training Eastchurch aims to equip individuals with the skills, confidence and experience needed to find work on release. Because HMP Standford Hill is an open prison, some learners are also able to take part in additional courses and, where appropriate, paid employment through the Release on Temporary Licence (ROTL) scheme.

The learners come from a wide range of backgrounds and ages. What unites them is a desire to use their time constructively and build a better future.

“A lot of these lads just want to get on, earn some money and move forward,” says Danny. “If you respect them, they respect you. We’re here to give them the best possible chance when they’re released.”

The men building the plinths are currently completing Level 2 Carpentry qualifications under the guidance of lecturer Charlie O’Reilly.

At 24, Charlie is younger than some of the people he teaches. Having started his career in construction, he never imagined education would become his future.

Now he cannot imagine doing anything else.

“It isn’t just about building something,” he says. “It’s about seeing someone grow in confidence.”

For Charlie, one of the most rewarding parts of the job is watching learners discover abilities they never knew they had.

“We have people who arrive having never picked up a hammer before,” he says. “Then a few weeks later they’re completing projects independently and taking real pride in their work.”

Sometimes the transformation goes deeper than practical skills.

“Some people have never been given a chance before,” he says. “To see somebody succeed, to hear someone say ‘well done’ and mean it, that’s incredibly rewarding.”

The plinth project has brought together learners from different backgrounds. Alongside the men from HMP Standford Hill, community learners studying at Eastchurch have also been helping to build the structures.

Working side by side, they have measured, cut, assembled and finished the timber bases that will eventually support some of the trail’s sculptures.

For Eastchurch, it is an opportunity to put learning into practice. The men building the plinths are developing practical skills while contributing to something that will be seen by thousands of people across Dartford this summer.

The initiative came about through a partnership between EKC Training Eastchurch, Willmott Dixon and ellenor. Willmott Dixon has a long-standing commitment to supporting education, employment and skills development across Kent. Through partnerships with further education providers and prison education programmes, the company helps create pathways into employment for people looking to build new futures.

Richard Poulter, Managing Director for Willmott Dixon’s South Regionsaid: “At Willmott Dixon, we are passionate about making a positive, lasting difference in the communities we work in. By partnering with further education colleges across Kent and supporting employment and skills programmes within the prison system, we are helping to create real opportunities for people to learn new skills, rebuild their confidence and take meaningful steps into sustainable careers.

“It has been fantastic to see this project come to life, with the ellenor bear now proudly displayed on the wooden plinths, expertly crafted by the team at EKC Training Eastchurch. We are very proud to be supporting individuals in making a positive contribution to their communities.”

The company is also sponsoring one of the bears featured in the trail, The Wellness Bear.

“The more organisations that are prepared to work together, the more chance people have of succeeding,” says Danny.

This summer’s Bear Hunt Art Trail will bring together businesses, schools, artists, community groups and supporters from across Dartford and beyond.

Inspired by the animated television adaptation of We’re Going on a Bear Hunt, produced by Lupus Films, Dartford and ellenor’s first-ever Bear Hunt Art Trail will see more than 80 individually designed bears appear across the town from July to September. Created by artists, schools, community groups and businesses, the family-friendly event will raise vital funds to support local hospice care across North Kent and Bexley.

Each sculpture tells its own story. Some celebrate creativity and local identity, while others reflect resilience, hope and the experiences of families living with life-limiting illness. Together, they transform Dartford into an outdoor gallery with a purpose far beyond public art.

In many ways, the plinths tell a story too.

Most visitors will never notice them. Yet behind each one are hours of work, newly learned skills and a partnership that stretches from the Isle of Sheppey to communities across North Kent and Bexley.

For the men who built them, there is something powerful about knowing their work will help support a project that brings people together while raising funds for ellenor. Some may even visit the trail and see the finished bears standing on the plinths they helped create.

For Danny, that matters.

Because projects like this help people see themselves differently. Not as prisoners but as learners with skills, qualifications and opportunities for the future.