Sheffield Hallam University are announced as a headline sponsor for the Bears of Sheffield sculpture trail
Sheffield Hallam University has joined the Bears of Sheffield project as Headline Sponsor bringing their expertise into a few little extras which you will see along the way on the trail! Sheffield Hallam University is one of the UK’s largest and most diverse universities, with a community of more than 30,000 students and 4,000 staff.
Their mission is simple: they transform lives. The University provide people from all backgrounds with the opportunity to acquire the skills and knowledge to succeed at whatever they choose to do.
Richard Calvert, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Sheffield Hallam University said: “Sheffield Hallam is proud to be supporting The Children’s Hospital Charity’s Bears of Sheffield project this year. After the incredible success of the Herd of Sheffield in 2016, we wanted to once again be part of a wonderful project which brings together local communities, businesses and artists, all to raise vital funds for Sheffield Children’s Hospital.
“It has been a very challenging year for all of us, and this new project will provide a great opportunity this summer for individuals and local communities across the city to take part in the trail.”
Cheryl Davidson, Project Manager of the bears at the charity said: “We are so grateful to Sheffield Hallam University for supporting the Bears of Sheffield trail and coming on board as a Headline Sponsor. We are excited at the creative ideas and added extras the university are hoping to bring to the trail to make it even more special. We hope that the Bears of Sheffield will be a celebration for the city after a difficult year and Sheffield Hallam University will play a big part in that.”
The Bears of Sheffield will be a mass public-art exhibition, bringing together artists, businesses, school and communities in what is set to be the biggest art event Sheffield has ever seen to encourage more visitors to the city.
After the trail is complete, each small bear will be returned to its school, nursery or college as a permanent memento of the project. The larger bears will be auctioned off at a special event to raise funds for Sheffield Children’s Hospital.
As well as providing a much-needed boost to the local economy, it is hoped the total raised will surpass the £610,000 raised for Sheffield Children’s through the Herd of Sheffield. The fundraising could not come at a more vital time, as the COVID-19 pandemic has caused the charity’s fundraising by around 35% in the last financial year, a decline of £1.3 million. The monies raised will help Sheffield Children’s where it is needed most, including by redeveloping the Cancer and Leukaemia ward at the hospital.
A centre of excellence, the Oncology and Haematology department at Sheffield Children’s covers a population spanning an area from South Yorkshire through to Nottingham and Grimsby. The ward provides treatment for cancer and blood disorders in children from babies through to 19-year-olds in South Yorkshire, Derbyshire and Lincolnshire. It also sees patients from across the UK for chemotherapy, operations, and bone marrow transplants.
It is hoped the new space will be fully funded by charitable donations in less than 9 months’ time, yet how much the space can be improved will depend on how much can be raised in the intervening period.
You can follow the Bears of Sheffield’s progress on Twitter @BearsofSheff, or @bearsofsheffield on Facebook and Instagram.