Morph drops in to tell Brighton youngsters about his London trail

Morph, the cheeky children’s clay character from BBC’s Take Hart of the 1970s, has enjoyed a day trip to Brighton.

Aardman’s pint-sized TV personality, who now has his own show on Sky Kids, took in the city’s famous Palace Pier, beach and prom, saying hello to the seafront lifeguard team (see pictures).

Morph came by train to tell city residents about ‘Morph’s Epic Art Adventure’, London’s first step-free family art trail. Thameslink is a proud sponsor, helping to raise money for Whizz Kidz, a charity supporting young wheelchair users, who are hosting the trail.

The free wheelchair-friendly trail is now open for the school summer holidays and features 56 giant six-foot Morph sculptures at locations along the Thames and in the heart of London. Each is individually painted by a wide variety of talented artists and celebrities.

The trail is easily accessible from Thameslink stations London Blackfriars, London Bridge, City Thameslink and Farringdon, which offer step-free access all the way from the train to the platform and onto street level, so it’s ideal for people with young children in pushchairs and wheelchair users.

Thameslink’s Partnerships Manager Jackie Bookal said: “Morph took the train to Brighton from Crawley, where he’d been painted by five children at one of Whizz Kidz’s local activity clubs.

“After a whistle-stop tour of some of the Brighton’s most iconic attractions, he took another Thameslink train to London Blackfriars to see his giant six-foot cousins on the South Bank of the Thames.

“Thameslink trains are built with accessibility in mind, and we have assistance in place to help you throughout your journey – just ask a member of staff or look at the assisted travel pages of our website.

“There are lots of step-free attractions in London that Brighton residents can enjoy, including the SEA LIFE Centre, Shrek Adventures and St Paul’s Cathedral that have great 2-for-1 deals for anyone with a rail ticket. That coupled with our ‘Kids for £2’ ticket and Advance fares means a family can travel to London very cheaply.”

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Editor's notes

A trail map and app navigates the public through London’s famous streets including the South Bank of the River Thames and the historic City of London, helping them discover each sculpture and unlock a series of rewards and fun facts whilst raising awareness of Whizz Kidz and the work the charity provides to help support young wheelchair users. Find out more at www.morphsadventurelondon.com

Whizz Kidz
As the UK's leading charity for young wheelchair users, we empower young people by providing the wheelchairs, equipment, support and confidence-building experiences they need, and campaigning for a more inclusive society. In 2021 Whizz Kidz provided wheelchairs and mobility equipment to 900 young people. Our vision is a society in which every young wheelchair user is mobile, enabled and included.
About young wheelchair users in the UK:
• Around 75,000 young people in the UK need a wheelchair to be mobile. • Most young people aren't getting a wheelchair that fully meets their needs through local services.
• For a young person, having the wrong wheelchair can lead to dependence on others, social isolation, poor mental health, pain and injury.
• Without the ability to be independent young wheelchair users are restricted in their ability to socialise and participate in society.
For more information, visit www.whizz-kidz.org.uk . Follow @WhizzKidz on Twitter and Facebook // @whizzkidzuk on Instagram // Whizz-Kidz on LinkedIn