Added: 10 December 2015
Ipswich Building Society unveils its Pigs Gone Wild pig and calls on members and the Suffolk community to help find a name
Ipswich Building Society has unveiled its very own Pigs Gone Wild pig designed by East Anglian artist Mik Richardson who has previously produced sculptures for the Norwich and Cambridge trails. The pig, the first to be revealed in a series of sculptures joining the event mascot Tally-ho Trotters, is a bespoke design celebrating Suffolk and features the Society’s branch towns along with charting its history from 1849 to the present day. The pig also incorporates elements of financial education and will have an accompanying fun worksheet for children to complete.
Ipswich Building Society is calling on its members and the Suffolk community to help find a name for the as yet unnamed pig. You can submit your ideas on social media using the hashtag #namethatpig on Twitter (@IpswichBuildSoc) and Facebook or via the Ipswich Building Society website using www.ibs.co.uk/pigsgonewild
As Community Engagement Partner for Pigs Gone Wild, Ipswich Building Society will work with the project’s Education Partner to support school outreach, delivering financial education in a fun and engaging way to local youngsters. This follows on from the success of the Society’s existing Money Day and Money Metrics programmes which has seen them spend over 3,500 hours in local classrooms.
The nine Suffolk branches of Ipswich Building Society will also be involved in the project by hosting trail maps and housing junior pigs. Ipswich Building Society members will have access to exclusive Pigs Gone Wild events as part of All In, the Society’s industry leading membership programme.
Norman Lloyd, Pigs Gone Wild project manager, said: “The Society’s pig looks incredible. The design is so detailed and relevant to them, and I’m sure everyone who sees it will love it as much as we all do.
“Tally-ho, our prototype pig, and Ipswich Building Society’s pig are fantastic examples of what is to come from the Pigs Gone Wild project and we hope that when people see the building society’s pig that the beauty and creativity of it will make them want to get involved and sponsor a pig too.”
Paul Winter, Chief Executive of Ipswich Building Society, added: “We’re proud to be part of Pigs Gone Wild, adding a bit of fun and extra colour to Ipswich, and will work closely with the hospice and other event partners to make it a success.
Our pig is a unique piece of artwork which truly captures Ipswich Building Society, from our history and heritage through to our presence in Suffolk today. To continue our focus on improving financial literacy we have incorporated elements such as banknotes, coins and shops, and a fun worksheet will be available for children to complete.”
Pigs Gone Wild will see 40 larger than life pig sculptures set out on a trail across Ipswich Town centre and the Waterfront in what will be the biggest mass participation art event the county has ever seen. The pig sculptures will be beautifully decorated by artists and generously sponsored by local organisations. These will also be joined on the trail by junior pig sculptures designed by local schoolchildren and teachers.
After the ten-week trail ends next summer, there is a happy ending for the large pigs as they will all be auctioned off to raise funds for St Elizabeth Hospice to help improve life for people living with a progressive illness. The junior pigs will be returned to their new homes in schools across the county.