Pickfords was appointed the official removals partner for The Paddington Trail, a London-wide event from VisitLondon.com, STUDIOCANAL and NSPCC, which saw 50 statues of the famous Paddington bear placed across the capital from 4 November – 30 December.

The event marked the release of the film Paddington in UK cinemas and to raised vital funds for the NSPCC and its Childline service.

Pickfords moved the 50 statues from the 3DEye studios where the designs had been brought to life to their final locations across the capital ahead of the launch of The Paddington Trail on 4 November.

Pickfords’ London branches, under the leadership of Area Manager Steve Gooding, managed the logistics of the Trail.  The deliveries were scheduled for the day and evening of 3 November and included 6 different vehicles, 22 men and one cameraman who videoed the installation.  The main challenge was pre packing 50 bears in the studio prior to delivery, achieving the deadlines for delivery and responding to very short notice changes to the agreed schedule on the final weekend.  All bears were delivered safely without incident.  

By donating its time and resources, Pickfords saved The Paddington Trail tens of thousands of pounds in logistics costs, helping the NSPCC to maximise its profit from the event. The bears were auctioned by Christie’s on 10 December, raising £412,500 for the NSPCC.

Photos: Hugh Bonneville, who plays Mr. Brown in the Paddington movie.