Children at Cambridge University Primary School helped to put the daffodils in the Giraffodil that is on show as part of the city’s ongoing sculpture trail.
Genevieve, 10, Lottie, 10, Kinsce, 10, and James, 11, planted some spring flowers in a pot that has been cleverly incorporated into the design of the sculpture, which is on display at The Hill’s Group’s Knights Park development in Eddington.
The Cambridge Standing Tall trail, featuring 31 large giraffe sculptures around the city and a herd of Mini Gs too, is on show until 2 June and is marking its environment and nature-themed week.
Cambridge University Primary School’s interim executive headteacher, Sarah Griggs, said: “Inspiring children to be curious about plants and gardening can give them a healthy hobby for life. It builds self-esteem and promotes wellbeing, so as a school, we encourage our pupils to spend time outdoors and learn about the natural environment.
“It was wonderful to see the children getting their hands dirty and really enjoying their role in Giraffodil’s plant pot makeover.”
Hill commissioned the Giraffodil to reflect the open green spaces and ecology of its Knight Park development, along with its commitment to sustainability.
The sculpture, with a head shaped like a blossoming daffodil, was created by multimedia artist Sally Adams, who said: “I really enjoyed the brief to design a very different Cambridge Standing Tall Giraffe for Knights Park inspired by Hill’s dedication to wildlife conservation. It took me about a month to re-shape and paint the Giraffodil in my conservatory – the only place with a high enough ceiling!
“The face was tricky, as a giraffe’s snout isn’t hollow, so giving it a daffodil makeover was a good challenge. The insects, like the Giraffodil, needed to be fantastical and oversized for extra dynamic impact on the overall design.”
The Cambridge Standing Tall trail, supported by the Cambridge Independent, is being delivered by Break, with the giraffes representing the charity ‘standing tall’ for young people.
The sculptures will be auctioned following the end of the trail to raise money for Break, which helps support young care leavers towards independence.
Rebecca Littler, group sales and marketing director at The Hill Group, said: “Collaboration with local charities is important to us at Hill, and we were delighted to be able to offer some of the children at Cambridge University Primary School the opportunity to become involved with this initiative. Giraffodil aligns with our commitment to ecology, and it was great to hear that the children admired the sculpture and all the clever details artist Sally Adams has incorporated into the design.”
The Knights Park development, part of the University of Cambridge’s Eddington development, is surrounded by 123 acres of greenery and is home to one of the largest rainwater recycling systems in the country.
An innovative underground waste and recycling system automatically signals to the collection company for emptying when the container reaches 80 per cent capacity, reducing the energy consumption typically associated with regular waste collections.
The Giraffodil can be found outside the sales suite, while his smaller contemporary Mini G, also created by Sally, can be found inside and represent the birds, insects, and flora that call the site home.
