THE Martlets’ Snailspace campaign is about taking life slowly, though fundraisers are doing anything but.

People have been out on the hunt this weekend for the 50 snails rolled out across Brighton last week and downloading the app like wildfire.

On Saturday alone, £1,500 had been made from the Snailspace app, which costs £1.99.

Of the purchase fee, £1 goes to the Hove-based charity, which cares for terminally ill people.

It has delighted Imelda Glackin, chief executive of Martlets, and the public art trail is already proving a huge success, following on from the Snowdogs of 2016.

She said: “We are thrilled with it. The project is bringing everyone together.

“We didn’t know how the Snowdogs would be received the first time and it was quite a big risk to do something like that.

“Everything has been slightly bigger and better this time.

“We have 50 sponsors compared with 44 with the Snowdogs, and 57 junior snails compared to 17 Snowpups.

“The schools programme has been brilliant.

“We had an app last time but this one has been developed and works much better.”

On the app people can vote for their favourite snail and it shows which ones are the most popular and most visited.

Peter James’s Nee-Nor at Brighton Palace Pier was the most visited over the weekend, while people’s favourite snail has so far been No Place Like Home at Stoneham Park in Hove.

Hundreds went out trekking to find their favourite snails over the weekend and the great weather added to the picture opportunities for families, with little ones in awe of the artistic designs.

Val Lillie, 69, took her grandchildren – four-year-old twins Tula and Ethan – out to explore the snails on Saturday with her husband Ken.

Val, from Saltdean, said: “It’s art, it’s for charity and we’re visiting so many places we don’t get to normally. This is a great community thing – we all have fun, it includes local artists and we raise a lot of money for the Martlets which is a brilliant charity.

“It’s just wonderful.”

Val and her family are going to be visiting the sole snail based out of the city at London’s Victoria Station at some point, too, and she hopes even more cash is made for the Martlets this time round.

The Snowdogs trail, along with the auction, managed to bank more than £300,000 for the charity.

Val added: “I would like them to top last time’s figure, and with people like Fatboy Slim on board they can’t really fail.”

Adults, it seems, have been getting just as much excitement from the snails as children, with many hooking up to the Snailspace app or using maps to help them hunt down the next giant mollusc.

Naomi Adams, 37, was one of those adults, and she has another reason to feel so passionately about the campaign.

A family friend of hers was supported by Martlets following a spell in hospital with a number of serious medical reasons.

Naomi, who lives in Kew Street, Brighton, said: “The Martlets is such a great charity and I think that’s why so many people wanted to get behind this.

“There’s all sorts of reasons for people to get involved. For kids, they want to ‘collect’ as many as possible, there’s the charity aspect, it’s artwork, and if you’re a tourist, it’s an amazing way to see Brighton.”

Naomi enjoyed the Snowdogs trail and when she heard about Snailspace the excitement kicked in once again.

She said: “As soon as I found out about it I knew it was going to be good, especially with all the local artists being involved.”

Figures showed the Snowdogs had been visited more than 100,000 times during their two-month spell in Brighton in 2016 and Snailspace looks set to replicate that feat.

Ruth and Chris Wild, from the Preston Park area, are having a family competition to see who can visit the most snails using the app.

So far six-year-old Jamilah is leading the way, but her brothers Charlie, 13, and Jimi, 15, are battling for bragging rights.

Ruth said: “I just love the artwork on the snails and obviously this is all for a good cause.

“I think it’s important to give publicity to the Snailspace app which donates £1 to the Martlets.”

Gill Bennett, 39, took her children Edward, nine, Kyra, seven and four-year-old Jato out in search of Parky snail.

Edward and Kyra have played their part in the campaign – Parky is the design of Queen’s Park School, where they are pupils.

Their dog Brody also tagged along and seemed to have as much fun as the rest of the family.

Gill said: “I don’t usually spend money on apps but I was more than happy to for this one as it’s going to such a good cause.

“My kids have been involved – the schoolchildren all drew different minibeasts on their snail.

“It’s nice for them and it’s lovely to be out looking at the snails on a sunny day.”