A new character created to promote York has been unveiled in the city.

The move from Make it York came as the destination management organisation also released further details of events planned for next Year.

Managing Director Sarah Loftus said of the 6ft Snook: “I can believe how big it is.”

More than 30 of the specially-created ‘Snooks’ are to be distributed in a trail across the city.

Sarah said of 2024: “We want to make a big splash as a City of Trails.’

“We have three happening- the York ice Trail, the new Snook Trail, and York Trailblazers.”

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The well-established and popular Ice Trail will return for the weekend of February 3-4. It will cover much of the city but the theme has yet to be determined.

The Snook trail will last eight weeks, starting on February 29, and there are plans for more than 30 of them. Sponsors are needed for them, with sponsorships costing £4,500 for each one. But the event promises to attract 750,000 visitors over the eight weeks.

Sarah said Make it York also hopes to take the Snooks down to London for a showing before they are auctioned off to raise funds for St Leonard’s Hospice and Make it York.

Similar trails in Manchester have raised more than £1M for good causes.

2024 will also see York TrailBlazers, a trail Make it York is working on with the York Civic Trust. This trail will be based on ‘communities’ and feature local icons including the Tansy Beetle.

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Sarah added: “If things are free, people come to the city, and they will spend.”

Sheffield artist Sian Ellis, who won a Make it York competition to create the creatures, said she was ‘so happy’ to see her work come to life.

Sian has been creating sculptures since 2019, including a 6ft wallaby in the Isle of Man, plus a painted gorilla for Jersey Zoo.

She said: “People absolutely love these trails. They will travel around the UK to see them.”

Businesses gain extra custom through them and money is generated for good causes, including £2M raised for the trail in Jersey.

Dawn Clements of St Leonard’s Hospice confirmed such trails are delivering success across the country.

“It’s an extra bold way to talk about your work, a great opportunity to talk about the work you do,” she said.

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In addition to the auction, other fundraising events will take place during the trail.

Adam Wardale, general manager of the Middleton Hotel, which hosted the launch, said he was keen to sponsor the event as it recalled the Superlambanana trail created in Liverpool, where he grew up.

“Trails create long term memories,” he added.

Trails also bring families and communities together and show business helping with free, family, events.

Adam added, Middletons would mark the trail with ‘something different.’