Statue - Billericay Parents Forum

Go to content

Main menu

Statue

The Child in the Park


In the Millenium year, Billericay Early Years Forum decided to give 'a gift from the children of the past and the present to the children of the future'.

As a result, the bronze statue of 'the child in the park' was created by the renowned Essex sculptor John Doubleday.

The statue, which was designed to appeal to children of all ages, is situated in the special garden created by Basildon Parks Department in Lake Meadows Park.

Many families enjoy a visit to the statue, which features a child, that can be interpreted as either a girl or a boy, and which is modelled on a real child. In the child's hands is a snail and around it's feet are 17 small creatures - a butterfly, dormouse, dragon-fly, field mouse, frog, grass-snake, hedgehog, mole, newt, shrew, spider, stag beetles, stoat, toad, vole, weasel and wren. Around the neck is a pendant with a seagull - signifying flight and freedom, and some keys showing the child can unlock its own destiny or that they are the keys to heaven.


The project was funded by grants from Awards for All, Eastern Arts, Cleanaway Pitsea Marshes Trust, Basildon Council and Billericay Town Council, as well as numerous donations from local people and children of local schools.


 
Back to content | Back to main menu