Olympic legend Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill, comedian Jon Richardson, broadcaster Dan Walker and Chuckle Brother are among stars backing a new summer fundraising art event at Crystal Peaks shopping centre in Sheffield.
The Bright Young Dreams campaign will raise money for the city’s Children’s Hospital Charity and feature specially commissioned works by more than 60 celebrities and creatives with links to South Yorkshire and beyond.
All of the participants will be putting their artistic skills to use for free, with their works set to be displayed as part of a free summer exhibition in the central atrium at Crystal Peaks from July 22 to September 1.
Every canvas will also be up for grabs via an online raffle, with tickets costing just £2.
Walker, an ambassador for Bright Young Dreams and a patron of The Children’s Hospital Charity, said: “The Children’s Hospital Charity touches the lives of every family in Sheffield at some point and is one of the region’s best loved and most enthusiastically-supported institutions.
“It is wonderful that the Crystal Peaks team have come up with such a colourful way of supporting the work the charity does, especially as it is bringing fresh light to the important Bright Young Dreams campaign.”
The Bright Young Dreams campaign was founded by Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill in 2023 to help address the urgent global crisis in children’s mental health. It aims to raise £5m this year to help fund a strategic action plan and infrastructure, in aid of Sheffield Children’s and The Children’s Hospital Charity.
“Crystal Peaks is a massively enthusiastic supporter of The Children’s Hospital Charity and for several years now has taken part in the annual ‘Christmas Snowflake’ campaign,” said Art For All organiser Clare Burnett.
“We were also a sponsor and host for both the Herd of Sheffield and Bears of Sheffield sculpture trails and felt that this year it would be great to launch our own event and show our continued support for this much-loved charity.
“Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust is one of only three dedicated children’s hospital trusts in the UK and provides integrated healthcare for children and young people, including community and mental health care as well as acute and specialist services.
“Donations from the Bright Young Dreams campaign will fund an ambition to unite and help hospitals and trusts around the world, sharing research and helping the finance of clinical advancements.
“Investment will also be dedicated to the ambition to build a new technology platform for children, parents and staff to help provide accessible education and support for those who need it.
“Crystal Peaks always sees itself as being right at the heart of the community it serves and, as such, we believe Art For All will make a really important contribution to what we hope will be a great and colourful summer event.”
Bright Young Dreams founder Ennis-Hill added: “I am incredibly excited about the upcoming Art for All fundraiser at Crystal Peaks Shopping Centre. It’s wonderful to see our community come together to support such a vital cause.
“Thank you to everyone involved for your generous support of the Bright Young Dreams campaign, benefiting Sheffield Children’s and The Children’s Hospital Charity.”
