30 May Service of Thanksgiving and Re-dedication to mark the Unveiling of the Covid-19 Commemorative Sculpture for Shropshire
HM Lord-Lieutenant of Shropshire, Mrs Anna Turner, attended a Service of Thanksgiving and Re-dedication at Shrewsbury Abbey on May 29th together with the High Sheriff of Shropshire, Mrs Selina Graham, the Leader of Shropshire Council Cllr Lezley Picton, civic representatives from across the county together with representatives from the armed forces, the emergency services, the NHS and social care services, and Shropshire charities including those that had volunteered throughout the Pandemic.
The service was to mark the unveiling of the Covid-19 Commemorative Sculpture for Shropshire, created by the Shropshire based artist Paul Kennedy. The Covid-19 Commemorative Sculpture was commissioned by the Lord-Lieutenant to be a visible reminder of what we as a community experienced throughout the pandemic; the suffering of those with Covid and the sad loss of many lives and remembering those whose lives have been so disrupted and affected by the lockdown as well as being a symbol of gratitude to all those in Shropshire, the key workers and those who showed such community spirit and friendship through volunteering and reaching out within their communities.
The service was to mark the unveiling of the Covid-19 Commemorative Sculpture for Shropshire, created by the Shropshire based artist Paul Kennedy.
The Covid-19 Commemorative Sculpture for Shropshire was created by the Shropshire based artist Paul Kennedy to reflect the Lord-Lieutenant’s wish to enable reflection on what we as a county have been through. The 1.2m bronze circle, which is split in half by coloured glass to represent a rainbow is covered in gold leaf on its concave side and textured by fingerprints from members of our Shropshire community on the convex side and is designed to be both reflective and projecting hope. The sculpture stands on a block of Shropshire stone within the Abbey.
The sculpture was funded through private donations.
