intu Merry Hill have announced the arrival of Marmalade, a giant orange mammoth, as their new mascot.

The new cuddly mammoth - which stands at 2.4 metres high - has arrived just in time for May half term, aiming to bring smiles to the faces of children and adults alike.

Marmalade was officially unveiled live on Black Country Radio at 11:00 this morning as part of our celebrations for Local Radio Day.

He'll be making his first appearance at intu Merry Hill tomorrow (Saturday 26th May at 10:00am) during a special march through the centre accompanied by a band procession, surprising and delighting families as he passes.

Additional marches will take place throughout the day at 11:00am, midday, 1:30pm and 2:30pm, while Marmalade will then be roaming the centre during the rest of the school holidays near Debenhams.

A marmalade making factory will be launched to celebrate his arrival on Thursday 31st May, where families will get the chance to get messy and creative with Marmalade. Children will learn how to make their own fruity preserves with the cuddly mammoth and be shown how to use it in baking delicious cookies.  

The factory will be open three times a day (11am, 1pm, 3pm) until Sunday 3rd June with 24 spaces available per session. Families can book their place on the 45-minute marmalade masterclass and further details will be issued on intu Merry Hill’s social media pages. 

Marmalade the Mammoth will a permanent feature of the centre, and will help launch intu’s new family club which offers parents and their children a number of fun activities to enjoy together at popular shopping destinations across the UK. 

Robert Pickersgill, marketing manager at intu Merry Hill, said: “Half term is all about spending time together as a family to create fond and loving memories. Baking delicious treats is a great way to do this and even better when joined by a friend like our newest resident, Marmalade the Mammoth. 

“Creating moments of happiness is at the heart of everything we do and we’ve introduced Marmalade and the new family club as another way to bring smiles to people’s faces and provide opportunities for parents to spend quality time with their children.”