Air Arts programme for the University Hospital of Derby and Burton, Heart sculptures.

Late last year we worked with Jenny Pickford Artist Blacksmith on behalf of the University Hospital of Derby and Burton to create two new heart sculptures to remember the colleagues lost throughout the pandemic and over the years gone by.

The hearts are based outside Royal Derby Hospital and Queen's Hospital Burton and stand 3.5m tall with a scattering of glass rainbow discs.

They are a lasting memory of the sacrifice, dedication and compassion of our NHS colleagues and a tribute to the communities.

Here is an extract from a poem called Heart Dedication, written by Chaplain Alison Thorpe.

“A strong metal heart frames a rainbow of hope

The glass discs an endless kaleidoscope,

With shifting patterns reflecting where we have been,

The battles we’ve fought, the changes we’ve seen.

This heart holds the hard work and the sacrifice,

Especially of those who paid the ultimate price.

It holds all the vision of those that inspired us,

As together we fought to counter this cruel virus. "