A spectacular collection of 150 lion sculptures were unveiled together for the first time ahead of this summer’s Pride of Yorkshire trail, which will take over streets and public spaces across South Yorkshire from June.
Utilita Arena Sheffield hosted a one-night-only preview event where guests were given the first opportunity to see the full collection side by side before the sculptures are installed across Sheffield, Doncaster, Rotherham and Barnsley next month.
The ambitious public art trail has been created to celebrate 150 years of Sheffield Children’s Hospital and is expected to become one of the UK’s largest free art trails.
During the launch event, organisers also announced that Pride of Yorkshire will raise £2.8m towards a £20m transformation of Sheffield Children’s Hospital’s Emergency Department and Major Trauma Centre.
The redevelopment comes as the department continues to operate well beyond its original capacity. Opened in 1977 and originally designed to treat 24,000 patients annually, the Emergency Department now sees more than 62,000 children and young people every year.
Ruth Brown, chief executive of Sheffield Children’s, said the investment would help create a calmer and more child-friendly environment for patients and families.
“With support from Pride of Yorkshire, we can transform our ED and Major Trauma Centre into a calm, child-friendly space that reduces fear and anxiety, supports recovery, and matches the outstanding care our teams provide every day,” she said.
The collection itself draws heavily on South Yorkshire’s cultural identity, with sculptures inspired by artists and bands including Arctic Monkeys, Self Esteem, Def Leppard, Richard Hawley and Bring Me The Horizon, alongside designs celebrating the region’s sporting, film and creative heritage.
John Armstrong, chief executive of Sheffield Children’s Hospital Charity, described the unveiling as “something really special”.
“Each lion marks a year in the life of Sheffield Children’s, and a year of caring for children and families across this region and beyond,” he said.
The Pride of Yorkshire trail follows the success of Bears of Sheffield and Herd of Sheffield, but is twice the scale of both previous projects. The lions will be on display from 8 June until September before being auctioned off in October to raise funds for the Children's Hospital Charity.
