Local school children to support Worcester gritting firm’s charity drive
A Worcester gritting and snow clearance company has linked up with a local school as part of their support for a public art event taking place in the city this summer.
Himbleton-based AA Salt, who help local businesses keep their premises safe by gritting and snow ploughing their car parks, has become the latest company to get involved with the Worcester Stands Tall initiative – a public art event which will see Worcester’s streets brought to life by over 25 individually designed giraffe sculptures.
The family-owned firm are supporting the St Richard’s Hospice-backed arts initiative and drafted in pupils from Bowbrook House School to help them design one of the two giraffes they are sponsoring. The Peopleton school will be running a competition with the winning design being used on the smaller, one metre tall sculpture.
Nikki Rogers, director at AA Salt, said: “It’s an amazing opportunity to be part of one of Worcester’s largest public events for 2018. We wanted to make sure we played our part and involved local children in such a rare event.
“The giraffe sculpture idea is just brilliant and they will add so much colour and joy to the city this summer. The children at Bowbrook will now play a big role.
“We regularly give a percentage of our profits to charity and when we heard about the plan for the giraffe sculptures we just had to be involved.
“St Richard’s Hospice has always been a charity close to my heart as my parents were two of the founding governors. We do anything we can to help what has grown into such an amazing and much-loved charity here in Worcestershire.
“We can’t wait to see the pupils’ designs. The children are really excited to be involved in something so historic and fun.”
The smaller sculpture will be donated to the school for display in its playground after the 10-week event which takes place from 9 July to 16 September.
Following the art week, co-ordinated by creative firm Wild In Art, the larger 2.5 metre designed giraffes will be auctioned off with the proceeds going to St Richard’s Hospice. For further information, readers can visit www.worcesterstandstall/art-trail
The company will be coming out of the busiest period in its 15-year history at the end of April after a ‘snow bomb’ hit Worcestershire in mid-December, with snow and ice continuing to threaten the county. Their gritters have spread nearly 1,000 tonnes of salt onto private car parks as sub-zero temperatures continue to disrupt the county. Ten of the company’s snow ploughs also worked day and night during the December snow and are on standby at all times to help keep local hospitals and supermarkets open.