One of the biggest employees in Swindon has signed up to be a sponsor of The Big Dog Art Trail.
Zurich, which prides itself on being a community-focused organisation, will sponsor one of the Swindog art pieces in the UK's first balloon dog art trail, which will raise funds for children’s hospice charity Julia’s House.
Zurich UK CEO Tim Bailey said: “Having grown up in Swindon, it’s great to be able to give something back to the community I had such a great start in.
"As one of Swindon’s largest employers, we have a longstanding history in the area with 1000 of our UK team based here. Whilst the surrounding area is under extensive development, we’re really pleased to be a part of the Art Trail alongside the team at Julia’s House which is doing such amazing work.”
The Zurich Swindog, one of 30 larger-than-life balloon dog sculptures which will be placed around Swindon this summer, will take pride of place in front of the firm's new Unity Place building on Fleming Way.
Designed by award-winning Birmingham artist Amrit Singh, known as MrASingh, the sculpture will be given a vibrant purple coat and covered with mandalas and lotus flowers.
“I am brand new to Swindon, so having a sponsor like Zurich, a huge company to provide insight and support when we want to promote the trail, Julia’s House and the sculpture to as many people as possible is fantastic,” said the artist.
“I heard the sculpture is going to be located at Unity Place, outside their new building, which is awesome.
“Being part of a public art trail is a fantastic feeling and you get to raise awareness of Swindon and help bring in tourism to the town.”
The Big Dog Art Trail will run from 15 July to 3 September, and end with a grand farewell weekend when all of the stunning Swindog sculptures will be brought together under one roof.
The giant one-of-a-kind creations will then head off to their forever homes after being adopted at a special auction event to raise money for Julia’s House.
Chris Hyde, Project Manager for The Big Dog Art Trail, said: “We are incredibly pleased to have Zurich join the pack for The Big Dog Art Trail.
“Zurich is well known in Swindon for not only being a fantastic employer but also for the important role they play in supporting the community with projects taking place across the town every year.
“The sculpture will sit in the heart of an area of Swindon which is undergoing a lot of change for the better and this will be an added attraction to the area.”
To find out more about the trail and the locations of the other 29 sculptures, people can visit www.bigdogarttrail.co.uk
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