Sculpture honouring key workers planned for Chichester's East Street

A sculpture honouring the efforts of key workers during the pandemic is planned for East Street, Chichester.
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John Gillespie, from Singleton, works as a stainless steel fabricator in Itchenor and began working on the sculpture a week after the first lockdown in March.

The sculpture depicts a nurse sitting on a bench, with a two-meter space for social distancing, and is made with keys with the job titles of key workers engraved into them.

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Eight months on and the sculpture is still yet to be placed in the city as was intended by John as a gift to the city, but now an application has been made for the work to appear in East Street.

John Gillespie and his sculpture in the Oxmarket GalleryJohn Gillespie and his sculpture in the Oxmarket Gallery
John Gillespie and his sculpture in the Oxmarket Gallery

A West Sussex County Council spokesperson said: “This is a an application to grant a licence under The Highways Act 1980 to place, on the pedestrian precinct, a sculpture of a key worker sitting on a bench. The sculpture has been donated to the city by a local artist and our Highways team is assisting with the application process.”

John said: "I'm over the moon. I'm just waiting to hear what the people of Chichester have to say. I have solved any problems I can foresee. It's fabulous but not know how long it is going to take it is hard to get too excited.

"I know we haven't been too badly affected down so I wonder if opinions will show that. I was getting a little bit worried as she has been sat in my back garden for several months now. To see her going into the right place and into the public eye is great.

"She represents the people who have made all the difference [in the pandemic]."