Steve Houghton: Barnsley’s Covid memorial gives our community a place to reflect

'Reverence' is focal point to remember lives lost in the pandemic and celebrate key workers and volunteers, writes the leader of Barnsley MBC.

When the idea was first raised about developing a permanent Covid Memorial in Barnsley to be unveiled in 2021, some, quite rightly, asked whether it was appropriate. Wasn’t it a bit like putting up a war memorial whilst a war continues? Should we wait until the pandemic was over?

The answer was, and remains, no. Covid has been – and continues to be - the biggest loss of life by one event since World War II. It’s that significant. It’s affected everyone. Businesses have gone under; people have lost their jobs and mental health issues are at an all-time high. I do not believe it will simply be ‘over’ for some time; the true global impact of it will ripple on for years to come.

I spoke to colleagues and partners in the blue light services, voluntary organisations businesses and within our communities and said we can’t let this pass without remembering.

Community, resilience, and gratitude

We were nearing the end of our transformative town centre redevelopment scheme and the Glass Works Square was the obvious home for any new public art – at the heart of our new-town centre.

He created seven bronze figures representing the real heroes of the pandemic, the ordinary working people of Barnsley and the country

We set up a multi-partnership steering group, including colleagues from Barnsley Hospital, South Yorkshire Police and Berneslai Homes and many more. There was a unanimous desire to deliver an enduring project that clearly demonstrated Barnsley’s sense of community, resilience, and gratitude.

We all had an overwhelming drive to have a piece of art that reflected our key workers and volunteers, but one that also served as a memorial to those who lost their lives during the pandemic.

Artist and sculptor Graham Ibbeson generously offered his time and services for free, seeing this project as a way to demonstrate his love and support to Barnsley, its residents and communities. In collaboration with Lockbund Foundry, he created seven bronze figures representing the real heroes of the pandemic, the ordinary working people of Barnsley and the country.

Working people, as a group, are vastly under-represented in public art and this was a real driving factor for the steering group. The piece includes a young girl, older man, volunteer, nurse, carer, police officer and a teacher – representing different generations and various communities. It’s reflective of those that have been affected throughout the pandemic.

Sense of togetherness

Our celebrated poet Ian McMillan is from Barnsley, and like Graham Ibbeson, he kindly donated his time for free. He developed the poignant words ‘Barnsley’s fierce love holds you forever in its heart’ which decorates the plinth. These words encapsulate what is so powerful and special about Barnsley and our unique character.

We know Covid hasn’t gone away, and this is one of the reasons why the sculpture is so important

Underneath Ian’s wording there is a cast bronze plate made up of artwork selected from drawings of key workers submitted by primary school children from across the borough.

We named the sculpture Reverence, and we want it to foster hope and a sense of togetherness amongst the people of Barnsley as the pandemic continues. We know Covid hasn’t gone away, and this is one of the reasons why the sculpture is so important.

It gives our community a focal point, a place to reflect and it symbolises the enormous pride we feel in our key workers, our volunteers, our families and our children.

Exhibition and engagement programme

Reverence has four accompanying initiatives and an engagement program. The wider exhibition and engagement programme enables members of the community to share their stories and in the Barnsley Museums Gallery located in the Glass Works, we have an exhibition which features ‘Messages in a Bottle’.

We can’t ever say thank you enough to our key workers and volunteers, but we can create something that’s everlasting

The initiative encourages people not to keep their emotions bottled up, but to share their experiences of living through the coronavirus pandemic. People are welcome to drop in and share during the coming months.

There will always be those who challenge and question its place. Memorials, by their very nature, attract controversy. Many individuals might like to leave the past in the past and forget.

But that’s not what Barnsley’s community spirit was built on. As devastating as the pandemic has been for so many people, there is no denying that as a community, and as neighbours, it had brought us all closer together. That’s why we are immensely proud to be unveiling Reverence, and that as a community we now have a space where lives can be remembered and celebrated and those that have served us, looked after us and kept things going can be recognised and their outstanding and inspirational efforts be acknowledged.

We can be confident we did the right thing. We can’t ever say thank you enough to our key workers and volunteers, but we can create something that’s everlasting.

Barnsley Council’s motto, which is also inlaid on the Reverence plaque is Spectemur agendo. It means ‘let us be judged by our acts’ and, as ever, remains deeply appropriate.

Sir Steve Houghton (Lab), leader, Barnsley MBC