A group of young disabled volunteers have secured £2000 to host a celebration and commission a final sculpture in memory of their friend.
The sculpture trail has been developed by young disabled people from Leonard Cheshire Disability’s Can Do Project with partners Yorkshire Driftwood, North Yorkshire Youth with professional artists and sculptors.
An event takes place on Saturday 1st June 2013 at Henshaws Arts and Crafts Centre the official opening is at 12 noon and we are there until 4pm it’s a drop in style event.
The event is free and there will be live music and lots of volunteers to answer questions about the sculptures. Henshaws is open so there is a café and shop. We will be selling products to raise money for the project too.
All welcome to come and view the sculptures!
The Can Do volunteers submitted the successful application for funds to grant giver Keyfund.
Sadly, one of the Groups founder member’s, Emily Lewin aged 23 whose involvement was cut short due to illness which eventually lead to her passing away in April 2013.
Ruth Bowen, Can Do project coordinator, said:
We were all devastated by the news about Emily but felt we had to carry on to turn this into something positive.”
The volunteers planned out their ideas for the event, then presented them to a panel of three youth workers who decided they should get the cash.
The process has enabled the group to gain skills and practical experience, while showing incredible reserve coming to terms with their friend’s death.
What’s really lovely is the group commissioned a chain saw sculpture by Tommy Craggs to carve one final work of a squirrel, Emily’s favourite animal as a tribute so Emily’s enthusiasm for and interest in the project lives on.
Oliver Griffiths Can Do volunteer said:
It has been an incredible journey to get where we are today. If you asked me at the beginning how much heartache, hard work and effort we have all had to go through I would never have believed it.
Now Emily’s squirrel looks magnificent and is lasting memory to all those who take a walk in the woods to visit the sculpture trail. Emily’s achievements were worthwhile.
