This year at the festival longterm Greenbelt volunteer Barry Birchall handmade 100 wooden elephants to hide around the site. He made them from discarded offcuts in his workshop. He wanted to create a community project he could gift to Greenbelt to mark our last year at Boughton before heading to pastures new.
Each found elephant came with a tag and a QR code, asking the finders to make some online responses – to help us build a picture of where they’d found their elephant, how finding it made them feel, where they had it now and what it made them think when they looked at it in its new setting. 60 or so people responded! Here’s a snapshot of what they told us…
Where did you find your elephant?
Anna found hers in The Tank cafe while having a coffee. Sequoia found hers on the air hockey table in the Fiery Jacks games encampment. Sarah found hers on the wall in The Orchard.
Tom found his in the Jesus Arms. Eve found hers in the bag on the back of her wheelchair. Josh found his by the giant turtle.
And Alastair and Anna found theirs in the toilets. Alastair simply said: “In the bog” while Anna was more delicate, noting it was “tucked under the hand sanitiser.”
Suffice to say, there were elephants found everywhere you can imagine across the festival site. Barry was a busy boy.
How did finding your elephant make you feel?
We had some really lovely responses to this question.
Fran described being “absolutely giddy!” Phoebe said she was glad to have found something that would “make the Greenbelt feeling last a little longer.” Anna described how it gave her a feeling of “belonging”. Penny had clearly read our ’Between the Fields’ thinking, responding that she hoped her elephant would “encourage me to try to make my everyday life more Greenbelt!” And Hester nailed it with: ”I felt like I found an elephant.” Thanks Hester.
There were a few more expansive responses, too.
Kate shared this: “In my family, elephants have had a multi-generational meaning: my grandparents married in the Punjab in the early years of the 20th century, and to the end of her life, my grandmother collected elephants of all shapes, sizes, and materials. A cousin in New Zealand inherited most of them when she died, but they were part of all our childhood memories. So now, I have my own member of that tribe, given by your lovely selves!” Our pleasure, Kate.
And Laura explained how: “Elephants are a bit of a theme in my life, they symbolise strength, resilience, commitment to each other, belonging and I also sponsor an elephant in Kenya (where I spent some time living) with the Sheldrick Trust and she is called “Amali” which is the Swahili word for Hope… “ Every day’s a school day, thanks Laura.
And finally, young Jack did the math: “I felt happy and special because I knew there were 100 elephants between probably 50,000 people at Greenbelt and I was part of the special group to have an elephant.” (Jack, we need to chat with you about our attendance figures – in the hope that perhaps you’re seeing the future?!)
Where is your elephant now?
Katrin was totally in the moment, sharing a photo of her elephant enjoying Flamy Grant at the Glade mainstage.
Ellis sent a picture of his elephant in his bag on the way back home to Brighton from the festival. Hazel’s elephant has joined an elephant from her honeymoon in Sri Lanka on her mantlepiece. And Zoë has hers “in my bedroom so I can see it and feel good.”
Rachel has hers in her study (along with some carefully curated Greenbelt bling – nicely on brand, Rachel). John’s is on his desk along with his “other elephants”?! (We’re sure there’s a story there. But John’s not telling.) Martin’s is sitting on top of the piano in his lounge. (No doubt tickling the ivories, heh Martin?!)
Laura has hers along with her “herd of elephants”! (Yes, you herd that right.) “My elephant will join the herd of others I have collected over the years, made by people I’ve known or gifted by people with love… she will sit on my cupboard shelf and no doubt be joined by more friends someday soon.”
Louise stopped us in our tracks with this: “When I’m home I’m going to place the elephant on top of the wicker casket that holds my son’s ashes, until I am ready for the burial of them.” Emily says her elephant “will definitely be part of our wooden Nativity in December.” (Emily, you might want to check those gospel accounts one more time?) Eve has poetically placed hers “with my family’s little collection of wooden mice :)” (Bagpus, anyone?) And Claire said: “Currently in Heathrow airport, about to travel with me to meet some real elephants!” (We want an update and more photos, Claire!)
In terms of specific geographic locations, West Yorkshire was the clear – winner with mentions of Leeds, Haworth and Elland! Elsewhere, Greenbelt elephants can be found in Leominster, Portsmouth, and “a village near Oxford”.
And finally – what will it make you think of when you look at your elephant?
The responses to this final question packed a real Greenbelt punch. So many of you said they would simply remind you of your Greenbelt ‘home’. Liz perhaps summed this up best with: “My Greenbelt home, where I feel welcomed, accepted and loved.” Phrases like “Keep fighting for the right thing”, “That I am part of a bigger community” and simply “Hope” characterised your answers, too.
Here are a few other specific responses we picked out…
Eve: “I hadn’t been able to attend the festival for a number of years due to my health, so it will also remind me to always have hope for the future.”
Anna: “How lucky I was to be at Greenbelt 2026 with my partner who started off skeptical but was totally sold on the festival by the end of Friday.” (Like we say, Anna – you have to be there to get it.)
Sam: “Knowing there is a place to belong where other Christians are open and inclusive and care about the world.”
Kate is reminded of “The friend I was with at that table – it seems we only meet up now at Greenbelt, but it goes very deep.”
Margaret made a neat connection: “I think I will call it Dave! To remind me of the tree we planted and to keep reminding me that there’s so much growing and developing we’re all still capable of.”
And it wouldn’t be Greenbelt if it didn’t come back to toilets in the end. Alastair said his elephant will remind him of: “Having a wee on my muddy journey back to the tent.” Amen.
