Staff at Birmingham-based LMJV have been supporting the Hospital for several years through fundraising events such as cake sales and quizzes, raising a total of £10,000. In recognition of their support, this week the Hospital named the company as a Charity Champion.
The owl sculpture is one of a series of ten carved artworks created by local artist Jason Fryers, which LMJV and Five Rivers Contracting are donating to two charities and eight local schools in the region. It is part of HS2’s commitment to sustainably reuse materials from construction sites, invest in local businesses and leave a lasting legacy for local communities.
The first carving, a perched owl made from English Oak from Crackley Wood in Warwickshire, has been donated to Birmingham Children’s Hospital and its James Brindley School for patients. It now sits in the hospital’s Matron’s Garden, a place set aside for staff, patients and students to enjoy nature in the heart of Birmingham, and will be used by staff to promote storytelling and other teaching for children.
Iain Andrews, HS2 Ltd’s Head of Community Engagement (Area North) said:
“HS2 is already playing a pivotal role in helping Britain’s economic recovery, with 7,000 jobs being created in the Midlands as the project moves into construction. As we build the new railway, we’re committed to finding opportunities to leave a positive legacy, and LMJV’s owl carving donation is a great example of this. We will continue to work with our contractors to engage with communities to ensure they can benefit from the project as it is delivered.”
LMJV Project Director, Simon Russell, said:
“We are delighted to make this donation and are proud of our team’s continuing fundraising activities for Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity. We’re committed to giving back to communities impacted by our works where we can, and we’ve been working with Five Rivers Environmental Contracting and Warwickshire woodcarver, Jason Fryers, to recycle wood by creating sculptures of animals.”
Saranne Moreno, Head of Corporate Strategic Partnerships at Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity, said:
“We’ve been absolutely blown away by how much LMJV have put into their fundraising for us over the past four years to reach their target. Those funds will go towards helping us do more for the 90,000 sick kids we treat here every year, and the gorgeous owl will leave a lasting legacy for all of our patients, families and staff to enjoy. I know our patients at James Brindley School are looking forward to naming it soon!”
The carving was given to the Birmingham Children’s Hospital by representatives from LMJV and Five Rivers Environmental Contracting during a visit to James Brindley School, one of the largest hospital schools in the world.
Current students at the school presented LMJV and Five Rivers with handmade drawings in appreciation of the donation, with the Hospital expecting to run a competition for students to name the piece in the coming weeks.
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