Date published: 27 May 2016 by Anna Jackson
Siblings from families we support were on hand last week to help paint a life-sized colourful cow that will join this year’s CowParade, Surrey.
Two sisters visited local artist Vikki Gibson, who designed the cow, at the Weymouth Art Asylum on May 24 to create a hand-print rainbow covering one side of the animal. The design represents the support given to children and families by Rainbow Trust on one side and all the elements that go into making up a rainbow on the other.
The children, Georgia Watts, aged four and a half and Harne Hayes, nearly three years old, enjoyed getting their hands messy as they hand-printed the cow.
The cow, which will be named as part of a Rainbow Trust competition, will join a herd of more than 60 others as part of the world’s largest public art event which comes to Surrey this summer. All the cows will be auctioned off and the proceeds split between the Surrey Hill Trust Fund and the cow sponsor’s charity.
GA Telesis UK Ltd, a commercial aerospace firm based in Leatherhead, Surrey, is sponsoring the cow for Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity, which supports families caring for a child with a life threatening or terminal illness. The charity has a care team in Southampton supporting families in Dorset.
GA Telesis UK Ltd, Senior VP and Managing Director, Nigel Christie said: “We are delighted to sponsor this cow for Rainbow Trust. It is an amazing cause and it was without hesitation that we donated our cow to them. We look forward to seeing it out and about in the coming months.”
The Surrey Hills Cow Parade is run by Community Interest Company, Surrey Hills Enterprises.
Tim Metson, CowParade Surrey Leader said: “CowParade Surrey provides a fantastic opportunity to not only raise lots of money for charity but also to have fun and engage with a huge audience. We encourage everyone to come and visit the cows in Surrey throughout the summer, each one is unique and beautifully crafted by some really talented artists.”
Emma Haines, Director of Marketing and Fundraising at Rainbow Trust, says: “We are very excited about our wonderful cow and very grateful to GA Telesis for their generosity in sponsoring it for us. As a local charity, working in the community we are also very pleased to be involved in this year’s CowParade Surrey.”
The cows will be put out to graze around Surrey from 1 June until the end of August for all to see. A specially designed app is free to download from the Cow Parade Surrey Hills website and will allow you to ‘check in’ to each cow as it is found. You will discover lots about each cow, be able to win rosettes, take part in quizzes and more. Those who find the most cows will be entered into a prize draw to win a luxury Kuoni holiday for two to Mauritius.
Keep an eye on our latest news to find out where the colourful cow will move to next! You can also keep updated on news and location on our Facebook page.
