We head into the lion’s den for the making of the region’s next big sculpture trail
When the Pride of Yorkshire trail roars into life in Summer 2026, visitors will see 150 lions and 150 lion cubs brightening streets across Sheffield, Barnsley, Rotherham and Doncaster. But behind the scenes, the real roar is coming from a Sheffield workshop where each one is being brought to life – with a lot of elbow grease and even more pride.
That workshop is Simpsons Patterns, a small but mighty team with a 20-year track record of craftsmanship. They were also behind the Bears of Sheffield back in 2021 – and they’re back for this much bigger sequel.
For Director Alex Goddard, who started at Simpsons as an apprentice, the Bears project was a defining moment.
“It was brilliant. I just remember everyone in the city talking about it at the time – the buzz and the feel around the city – it’s a vivid memory.”
“We ticked a lot of boxes for the charity. We could do the scanning, right through to creating the patterns and the high-quality GRP models at the end of it.”
This time around, the pressure is on – and the scale is next level.
“The Pride of Yorkshire is the same sort of manufacturing process as the Bears, but this is on another level. There’s a lot more production planning needed.”
“We were already at full capacity before the project – so we’ve brought two new guys in. The project is helping us grow. It’s now a three-man team on the lions; two are making them and another one sprays them and gets them ready for delivery.”
So why come back for more? For Alex, it’s personal. “The number one thing is the story and the meaning behind it – Sheffield Children’s Hospital. A lot of us here are Sheffield people. So it’s close to everyone here. It’s something you’re proud of.”
“From a business perspective, it’s a fantastic project to be involved in. Especially with the exposure your business gets. You get vision and visibility over a longer period. We’ve got 18 months to do this project, and it will have everyone in South Yorkshire interested and talking about it.”
In the workshop, Connor Walsh is leading the hands-on build. He’s deep in GRP (glass-reinforced plastic) production, which is, frankly, graft. “We get the moulds off the pattern makers, we give it a couple of coats of release agent so it doesn’t stick, then gel coat, then a layer of 300g matting to give it the shape and get the air out, then 600g matting. We do it all in individual pieces, then we use a bonding agent and strips of fibreglass, so it’s not going to fall to bits. We need to make sure they’re solid.”
“We’re nearly done on the males. We have three left to do this next week. 50 females and 100 cubs. Hoping to finish at the end of December.”
Will he be glad when the male lions are done?
“Oh yeah, the head’s a nightmare! I can’t wait!”
“It’s a hard job to do. It’s a very tricky mould to get in. Just making it is hard. There’s a lot of tight spaces in the legs, especially. You’ve got to get your arm in it to get the air bubbles out. We have overalls on, but you get covered in resin. It’s intricate work to make sure it’s spot-on. It’s harder than it looks, but it’s 100% worth it.”
“I’ve got a young daughter myself who’s three years old – and she’ll more than likely be going to the hospital at some point. So, if we can generate that much money for it – that’s brilliant. Once they’ve been painted and you see them, it’s unbelievable. To see them get transformed again, I’m sure my daughter will love to see what her dad’s made.”
Before any fibreglass is laid, it all starts in digital. Joe Faulks, one of the CAD engineers at Simpsons, said: “We were given three small figures to scan and produce a mould from, which took a couple of weeks.”
From CAD screens to sticky overalls, the scale of the operation is matched only by the passion. Asked what makes Alex proud to be from Yorkshire, he doesn’t hesitate:
“I just think it’s the people. Yorkshire people have that Yorkshire grit and determination. And when we have to – the people of Yorkshire come together and get behind things. I’m hoping that’s what people do with this project. Let’s pull together, get stuck in, and get involved!”
Cheryl Davidson, Project Lead for Pride of Yorkshire, adds: “We’re proud to have Simpson Patterns on board. Their craftsmanship is turning our vision into reality, making the creation of the sculptures feel effortless and inspiring.”
The lions hit the streets in summer 2026 raising funds for Sheffield Children’s and giving the region another chance to come together.
