Sneak peeks have been shared of several more Bears who will be joining the trail this Summer
The next teaser of the much-anticipated Bears of Sheffield sculpture trail has been revealed today with a sneak peek at some of the recently painted Bears hibernating at their top-secret warehouse location.
Bringing together families and friends, businesses, schools, artists and the community, the trail will begin in July and support the fundraising drive to build a new Cancer and Leukaemia ward at Sheffield Children’s Hospital.
Each big bear has been individually designed and decorated by local, regional and national artists. The new teaser showcases the designs of nine ‘premium sponsor’ bears, including the work of local artists Lisa Maltby, Sarah Abbott and Geo Law.
In total, eleven businesses are premium sponsors for the trail, committing additional funds to help transform the Cancer and Leukaemia ward.
They are:
- Ackroyd and Abbott
- Apex Consulting Engineers (formerly Tier Consult)
- City Taxis
- City Estates/West One Accommodation
- CMS (Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang LLP)
- Fragomen
- GRI Group
- Matalan
- Sheffield Libraries
- Special Steel Group
- Street Crane Express & BXH Ltd
Graham Royle, Chairman and CEO of GRI Group Ltd said: “The importance of having a dedicated and well-invested children’s hospital in Sheffield cannot be overstated.
“The Bears of Sheffield is a major fundraising campaign that will also provide a whole load of fun for adults and children alike. We are proud at GRI Group to have been a major donor to
the charity for more than a decade and we can’t wait to see our Butterfly Bush Bear created by Kyle Platts on the trail.”
The inspiration for the bear theme of the trail came from the Botanical Gardens bear sculpture created by local artist and sculptor David Mayne and The Children’s Hospital Charity’s mascot, Theo.
Mr Mayne worked to recreate a smoother bear specifically for the project which could be painted whilst retaining the essence of the original.
Simon Eastwood, Chairman of Street Cranexpress/BXH added: “We were delighted to be involved with the Herd of Sheffield as it created a real buzz for the city and we have no doubt that the Bears of Sheffield will do the same. Our elephant takes pride of place outside the factory and it will be fantastic to add a Bear too!”
Further designs will be revealed over the weeks ahead as excitement continues to build for The Children’s Hospital Charity’s trail. To be the first to see the Bears revealed follow us on Twitter @BearsofSheff and Instagram @BearsofSheffield.