When is the next Bunny Hunt?

It's going to run from Saturday 5th April to Monday 21st April 2025.​​​

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Who can take part?

The GKBH is for all ages, genders and backgrounds. Consideration is given on the route to ensure it is accessible for all. The painted bunnies are designed so that young and old many recognise the different characters.

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How long does the Bunny Hunt Last?!

As long as you want it to, depending on how fast you walk, whether you enjoy all the hosting shops, whether you stop for a picnic, lunch, or ice-cream!!!!! You are welcome to spread it over a few days! Just try to hand in you maps during the times of 10-4pm either at The Headquarters on Butter Lane or at The Kingfisher Kiosk at Conyngham Hall to receive your reward!

 

Who benefits?

Hopefully TGKBH benefits everyone! In addition to local businesses in Knaresborough, it also offers opportunities for businesses not local to the town centre to sponsor the event, or donate prizes. This provides them with opportunities to promote their businesses while being involved. In an effort to boost our local economy affiliated services such as printing, clothing, and other suppliers etc, are all sourced from local businesses. Associated TGKBH products will be on sale in our Headquarters. Charities recieve money raised, and families hopefully get an enjoyable cheap activity to do during the Easter holidays!

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Who are this years charities?

The amazing charities chosen for this year are 

Saint Michaels Hospice

Andy’s Man Club

The Kingfisher Kiosk at Conyngham Hall

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How does it work?

Laura and the staff at Painting Pots paint, glaze, and fire the ceramic bunnies which are then placed in participating businesses around the town centre of Knaresborough. A map is hand drawn/painted by Helen Salmon-The Relentlass Artist (an incredible local artist) and then sold to participants. They then use this map to find the bunnies and complete their map which is handed back to the sellers. They then receive a Bunny Hunt sticker, sweet treat (often donated by local supermarkets!) and entry to win a prize which has been donated by local businesses. A map is then picked at random from each day's entries...so plenty of prizes to be won! Winners will be announced on the Facebook and Instagram and the winner will be emailed. 

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What happens to the bunnies?

Once the Bunny Hunt has finished, the ceramic bunnies are collected, checked over for any breakages, the bunnies are then auctioned off (on the GKBH Facebook page) with a certificate of authenticity. This raises even more money for the chosen charities! Please message for any more information on this!

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Why don’t you reuse the same bunnies every year?

We want to keep The Great Knaresborough Bunny Hunt fresh and exciting every year for everyone involved…and one way of doing this is to come up with, and paint new designs every year! Every bunny except David Bowie Bunny (2018 and 2024) has been a completely new character/design/idea! Auctioning off the bunnies makes hundreds of pounds more for our charities, and we love the idea that many bunny hunters get to purchase and keep a piece of the hunt!

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​​Tell me about the “twists” of The Great Knaresborough Bunny Hunt?

In an effort to keep The Great Knaresborough Bunny Hunt fresh and exciting for hunters and for myself, each year I add in a ‘twist’!

In 2019, there was ‘The Roaming bunny’ to find - who moved locations every few days (that was an exhausting idea I can tell you!!!!). Clues were posted on Facebook and there were extra prizes for finding the Roaming bunny.

In 2020 there was a a pandemic to contend with, so we had The Great Knaresborough SUMMER Bunny Hunt. As well as considering safety for all involved in 2020, I invited anyone and everyone to design the logo!!! So many designs were entered and it was so exciting to see young and old getting involved! The winning design by Wren Horner was wonderful and a worthy winner.

In 2021 I asked 6 local schools to invite their students to enter a design for the bunny…. One from each school was chosen and painted up! Not an easy job at all to choose just one from each school! All the entries were amazing! 

In 2022 we had a ceramic item that didn’t belong (a ceramic egg was painted and hunters needed to find that cheeky imposter amongst the bunnies!).

In 2023 i invited 8 incredible local artists to paint a bunny…. Showcasing yet more talent in our area and keeping the designs interesting and unique. Their brief was to design something representative of them or to go wild and paint whatever THEY wanted! They were New Dawn Fibre Arts, Sarah Marsh, Nicola Radford, Natasha Gilyard, Carly Atkinson, Suzanne Linford, Helen Salmons and Claire Baxter.

Last year there was a theme that connected all the bunny designs, Bunny hunters needed to connect the bunny designs and work out that the theme was “stars”….this years theme will be like learning your A,B,C’s!!!

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How is The Great Knaresborough Bunny Hunt funded?!

Since 2022, the event has had local businesses sponsoring, this enables more marketing to be done, purchases such as our bunny suit and clipboards, and the hiring of a headquarters space (Butter Lane). The participating host businesses also pay and this helps to pay for the printing of the maps and marketing materials.

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How can I support The Great Knaresborough Bunny Hunt?!

Advertising and spreading the word about this event is everything!!! It doesn’t matter how beautiful the map is or how brilliant the bunnies are if people don’t take part! I am extremely passionate about making each year better than the last, raising more money for the chosen charities and supporting the businesses within Knaresborough

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How much is a map and how can I pay for them?

This year our maps have gone Supersize!!! Our beautiful maps by Helen Salmons - The Relentless Artist are A3, and are £5! Please please please pay for your maps using CASH! We want every penny to go to our charities and not lose any to card machine fees. If you cannot pay in cash you can pay via Bacs or a cash machine can be found across the road from the headquarters. The reason for the size upgrade is to accommodate our 25 locations! 

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What if we don’t finish the hunt!?

Don’t worry!! Taking part, having a great time, making memories, raising money for charities and being a part of something bigger than ourselves is what matters…correct answers, perfect spelling, immaculate handwriting and finished maps do not matter… please still hand in your maps, you will still get a sticker and a sweet treat and entered in to a draw to potentially win a prize!

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What are the prizes?

Prizes are donated by local businesses, and vary from vouchers, chocolate treats, Easter goodies, and incredible items that local businesses stock! For the first time last year, I took the prizes donated by local businesses and supporters and drew one map from that days bunny hunting to win a prize. This year, I’m doing the same. Prizes are gladly accepted and I will update the website as prizes are donated, I’ll also have a list of prizes up in this years Bunny Hunt Headquarters. The lovely thing about this is ANY business can donate something, so businesses outside of knaresborough, businesses without a bricks and mortar space, online businesses can all donate if they wish.

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Where are the maps sold from?

This year you can purchase you maps EVERY DAY from The Bunny Hunt Headquarters, based at Butter Lane and The Kingfisher Kiosk at Conyngham Hall from the 5th to 21st April….10-4pm.  

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What charities has The Bunny Hunt supported in the past and how much has been raised in total?

Over the last 7 years The Great Knaresborough Bunny Hunt has raised £17,184.46. The following charities and amazing causes have been supported…

Henshaws Arts and crafts Centre

AspinSchool mental health fund, 

K’rescue Knaresborough, 

Harrogate & Knaresborough Toy Library,

Knaresborough Museum, 

Restart yorkshire, 

Orb,

The Gift people, 

Time together, 

Northernline arts, 

Lucies Animal Rescue 

Inspire Youth,

New Beginnings

Lauren Doherty Road Safety Talks

Memory lane cafe, Knaresborough

Resurrected Bites

Mamas Matter CIC

Young Carers

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Tell me about The Mumbler Awards 2024?!!

Oh my goodness! One of my proudest moments.. The Harrogate Mumbler Awards is an annual awards ceremony celebrating local children and family focused businesses and providers in the local area. In 2023 Harrogate Mumbler introduced some new categories …one being Mumblers Favourite Family Event. It blows my mind to say last year The Great Knaresborough Bunny Hunt came ‘Highly Commended’. A huge achievement given the amazing other family events that take place across the region. I think I sat and hugged that certificate for about 15 minutes without letting go!