STUDENTS and staff of the University of Gloucestershire have promised their support to The Lions at Large - the Pride of Gloucestershire Trail.

This community initiative is organised by Cheltenham and Gloucester Hospitals Charity to raise funds for The Big Space Cancer Appeal. It involves lion sculptures, which are painted by local artists and then placed onto a trail to follow.

The trail is taking place in Cheltenham and Gloucester from July to September and will celebrate Gloucestershire’s rich history, culture and diversity.

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.”

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

The lion sculptures were picked up in 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.

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.”

At the end of the trail, the pride of lions will be brought together for a farewell weekend and then the lion sculptures will go back to the community groups or schools where they were ‘created’.

The large lion sculptures 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 their treatment, healing and recovery.

More information about the community initiative, The Big Cancer Appeal, and the University of Gloucestershire can be found online.