When 60 fibreglass bears appear across the borough of Dartford next summer, one man will be responsible for getting every sculpture safely into place. For Luke Cole, moving bears isn’t part of his day job at Pentagon Transport – but this project carries a weight far beyond logistics.

Inspired by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury’s classic children’s book We’re Going on a Bear Hunt, the trail will feature 30 brightly decorated Big Bears and 30 smaller Bear Cubs, each created by artists, schools and community groups.

Luke’s father, Bryan, died at ellenor hospice in Northfleet in 2018 after treatment for lung cancer. Since then, Luke has raised thousands of pounds in his father’s memory, running the London Marathon and championing ellenor wherever he can. Now, as transport manager for the company acting as Logistics Partner for the Bear Hunt, his personal story has become woven into the borough’s biggest community art trail.

“People locally all know about the hospice” Luke says. “So many families have been helped by ellenor, including my own.” A year after his father’s death, Luke raised more than £2,500 running the London Marathon in his memory. He is training to do it again next year.

Pentagon first partnered with ellenor last Christmas, funding the charity’s Santa’s grotto and encouraging staff at its Crossways Business Park base to donate instead of holding a Secret Santa. Now as logistics and transport sponsor for the Bear Hunt, the multi-national company will store the sculptures, move them between artists, schools and community groups, and co-ordinate their final placement. Crayford firm Thamesway Transport will support the moves.

Luke said: “I was the one who suggested we support ellenor because they helped my dad.”

Bryan Cole died at the hospice in Northfleet in 2018 after suffering lung cancer, which had spread to his brain. A year later, Luke raised £2,535 by running the London Marathon in aid of the hospice and in memory of his Dad. His wife Emily’s grandmother also received end of life care from ellenor.

The forty-year-old dad of two said:

Luke grew up with his parents Bryan and Jennifer and his five brothers near to the hospice and was a pupil at Shears Green Junior School. Luke’s own children, Zachary, five, and Hettie, three, now watch him train at their local running track, chasing after him on their bikes. The family are part of the new generation of ellenor supporters. The hospice celebrates it’s 40^th anniversary this

year and it’s important for ellenor to maintain strong links with the local community as it moves and expands with the times.

The Bear Hunt will highlight the hospice and its services to all members of the community, young and old. Children will be especially engaged, taking part in the trail round Dartford, searching for bears in their summer holidays.

Project manager Georgie Packer said: “This is more than just an art trail; it is a true community project that brings together creativity, connection and care in equal measures. It is a celebration of the area and the incredible services ellenor provides. We hope this will leave a legacy that remains long after the trail is finished.”

As logistics and transport partner for the event, Pentagon will be storing the sculptures, transporting them to and from artists, schools and community groups and co-ordinating their final placement and retrieval.

Luke has worked in the transport industry at Crossways Business Park since he left school and joined Pentagon Transport four years ago. The firm moves freight by road all over Europe and its parent company Pentagon Freight also has a large storage facility in Dartford. Crayford company Thamesway Transport will be tasked with moving the bears around for Pentagon.

Luke said: “We use Thamesway a lot and they are like friends. The Bear Hunt involves a lot of work and logistics but it’s nothing they haven’t all handled before.”

The project is led by ellenor in partnership with Dartford Borough Council and Wild in Art, whose sculpture trails have transformed cities worldwide. It is backed by a growing group of partners and sculpture sponsors – including Bluewater Shopping Centre, Fastrack, Pentagon Transport, Pillory Barn, Walker Books and Lupus Films, custodians of We’re Going on a Bear Hunt’s legacy. Together, they are helping to deliver this landmark community project, with many more sponsors expected before 2026.

ellenor hopes each individually decorated bear will capture a little of the story’s original warmth and wonder. But beyond the playfulness lies a deeper purpose: to raise vital funds and greater understanding of the care ellenor provides – not just in its hospice, but in homes, hospitals, and communities where support is needed most.

Find out more at www.pentagonfreight.com