Here at the Ironworks, supporting charities and groups whilst tackling national issues is a huge part of what we do, and we strive to support as many people as we possibly can each year. Conceptualised during the height of the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic, our National NHS Hospital Support Programme was created as a way to provide hospitals all across the UK with additional support.
National NHS Hospital Support Programme
Here at the Ironworks, supporting charities and groups whilst tackling national issues is a huge part of what we do, and we strive to support as many people as we possibly can each year. Conceptualised during the height of the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic, our National NHS Hospital Support Programme was created as a way to provide hospitals all across the UK with additional support.
With the rainbow now seen as the symbol of the NHS, we wanted to create something that encapsulated this whilst creating maximum public impact – so the NHS Rainbow Sculpture was born. These giant rainbow sculptures have been specifically designed to not only thank our national hospitals for all of their hard work but to also help them to raise crucial funding for their cause.
Each rainbow can hold thousands of metal hearts in seven different colours, which can be personalised with the name of a loved one or a message. Each heart can be purchased by a member of the public in order to commemorate a loved one or to recognise an NHS hero, eventually forming a part of the rainbow itself. To kickstart the project we have worked alongside Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and the Countess of Cheshire Hospital but, given the current climate and everything that the NHS has had to undergo in recent years, we are looking to work with many more hospitals across the UK to create their own NHS Rainbow Sculpture.
If you are a hospital who would like to discuss a Rainbow Sculpture, please contact us at info@britishironworkcentre.co.uk.
Each participating hospital will be provided with 7,000 metal hearts (of seven different colours) and the rainbow base sculpture. The hearts will be sold to the public at the hospital’s chosen price and will become a part of the rainbow sculpture, offering the wider community an opportunity to support their local hospital whilst honouring an NHS hero or loved one. The idea is that as more and more hearts are added, the rainbow sculpture will be completely brought to life commemorating those who have fought so hard throughout the pandemic and beyond.
We understand that we can’t change the national landscape of the NHS and its funding, but we certainly want to offer our support in whatever way we can! We have already reached out to Sir Simon Stevens, Chief Executive of the NHS, to offer our support nationally.
Our Rainbow Sculpture Hospital Partners
Countess of Chester Hospital
Our very first NHS Rainbow is now located at the Countess of Chester Hospital! The Rainbow was launched at the Countess of Chester by the Duke of Westminster. So far over £40,000 has been raised for the Blue Skies Balcony Appeal.
The Countess of Chester Hospital held their “Rainbow Day” to launch the Rainbow, with cupcakes given to staff. A time capsule filled with schoolchildren pictures and letters, a prayer from the hospital’s Chaplaincy team and an empty vial of COVID-19 vaccine was placed at the end of the Rainbow by the Duke of Westminster, who gave his support to the project.