Nikki Walker, who is a Theatre Sister Charge Nurse at Doncaster Royal Infirmary (DRI), has had her design, entitled ‘Bee Responsible’, featured along the North Notts Nectar Trail. Nikki’s work was one of 30 pieces to be selected to feature on the Trail, all of which will be auctioned off when the trail comes down to raise money for the creation of The Bassetlaw Emergency Village project.
Nikki’s ‘Bee responsible’ design is inspired by industry and pollution, raising awareness of different ways to recycle. It also depicts different types of renewable energy, such as hydro-power and solar power, as well as ultimately supporting the effort to save the bees.
Nikki spoke about her design and how she found out about the Trail, she said: “ I feel really proud to have my design selected. I am not an artist – I work in theatres. It is not alien to me, but it is a big project to undertake when you don’t do it as an everyday job.
“I hope people can get out there and go and see the art trail. The rest of the bees are stunning, and we were all given four weeks to paint them, so I had to fit it around all my shifts which was a bit exhausting. I have never painted anything on this scale, but it was amazing!”
The trail itself is held in partnership with North Notts Bid, Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals Charity, and Bassetlaw District Council through the HM Government’s Welcome Back Fund, which is supported by the European Regional Development Fund.
Go Green, a business leader in outsourced waste management and recycling solutions, have sponsored Nikki’s design. They have been supporting the trust throughout this last year with various fundraising and volunteering activities, and wanted to sponsor ‘Bee Responsible’ as it meets some of their core values as a company, caring and protecting for our environment. Throughout the summer holidays, their colleagues will be organising various fundraising activities to help raise funds towards the sponsorship.
A representative from Go Green said: “Go Green are really proud to be sponsoring a bee for the North Notts Nectar Trail. The ‘Bee Responsible’ sculpture couldn’t be a more perfect fit for everything we represent as a business, alongside being a beautiful piece of artwork.
“We are committed to supporting the DBTH charity in as many ways as possible, so getting involved in the Nectar Trail campaign was an easy decision for us. We hope that our contribution alongside others raises the money for the Emergency Department that so many people within the community will benefit from.
The trail will be taking place throughout the summer holidays and provides an excellent way to raise awareness of your own company whilst supporting a local charity. Each bee costs £500 to sponsor and will come with a range of benefits which includes a plaque attached to your chosen bee sculpture. All funds raised through sponsorship will be reinvested into the new Bassetlaw Emergency Village helping us provide additional equipment, services and amenities for our patients, visitors and staff which cannot be funded by the NHS alone.