UoG students and staff lend a hand in support of Lions at Large – Pride of Gloucestershire Trail

A pride of lions has arrived at University of Gloucestershire!

But there’s no need to be concerned, these are lion sculptures that are part of an exciting community initiative organised by Cheltenham and Gloucester Hospitals Charity to raise funds for The Big Space Cancer Appeal.

The free Lions at Large – the Pride of Gloucestershire Trail is taking place in Cheltenham and Gloucester from July to September and will include 32 large lion sculptures painted by local artists that will celebrate Gloucestershire’s rich history, culture and diversity.

In support of this fantastic project, the University has collaborated with the charity for their Learning Programme Inspiration Event, delivered in partnership with Spirax Sarco, to support the distribution of  52 unpainted sculptures of little lions – collectively known as the Cub Club – to schools and community groups in Gloucestershire.

The little lion sculptures were picked up by schools and community groups from a dedicated space staffed by University student volunteers and Cheltenham and Gloucester Hospitals Charity at Oxstalls Campus. They will now be painted in vibrant designs before they are located in parks and open spaces for the community to enjoy.

At the conclusion of the trail, the pride of lions will be brought together for a farewell weekend and then the little lion sculptures will return to the schools and community groups who created them.

The sculptures of the large lions will be auctioned to support The Big Space Cancer Appeal, raising funds for a new cancer centre that will offer local patients the best environment for treatment, healing and recovery.

Alex Cottrell, Head of External Relationships at the University, said: “The Lions at Large – Pride of Gloucestershire Trail is a superb initiative that will bring joy and colour to local communities while raising funds for Cheltenham and Gloucester Hospitals Charity’s Big Space Cancer Appeal.

“Our student volunteers and staff enjoyed meeting with schools and community groups and discussing their ideas for the little lions  when they collected their unpainted sculptures from our Oxstalls Campus.

“We’re really excited to see the cubs and the larger lions take pride of place within parks and open spaces in Cheltenham and Gloucester, transformed by a wonderful array of colour and creative designs.”

Making a real difference

Carrie Smith, Lions at Large – Pride of Gloucestershire Trail Project Manager, said: “We are incredibly grateful to University of Gloucestershire for generously hosting us for our Learning Programme Inspiration Event. From gifting us their fantastic space, providing food and drink for our Cub Club members and the outstanding support of their student volunteers – we want to say a huge thank you.

“Their hard work and enthusiasm made the distribution of our little lion cubs a great experience for all the schools and community groups involved.

“This collaboration has been a fantastic part of the Lions at Large Learning Programme, delivered in partnership with Spirax Sarco, and we truly value the University’s commitment to supporting this important initiative to help make a real difference for our community.”

Image: University students and staff at the Learning Programme Inspiration Event, delivered in partnership with Spirax Sarco, to support the distribution of 52 unpainted sculptures of little lions to schools and community groups in Gloucestershire.