A Roaring Finale: Celebrating Loadhog Foundation’s Pride of Yorkshire Journey
2nd October 2026
What began with 300 individually designed lions and cubs appearing across South Yorkshire has reached its final chapter – and for one weekend, the whole Pride is together.
Pride of Yorkshire has spent the summer turning familiar places across Sheffield, Barnsley, Rotherham and Doncaster into an open-air celebration of art, community and creativity. Behind the colourful sculptures, however, has always been a much bigger purpose: raising vital funds for Sheffield Children’s Hospital Charity.
As headline sponsor, Loadhog Foundation has been part of that journey from the beginning. So, when all 300 sculptures gathered at Meadowhall for the first and only time, it was a particularly special moment for everyone involved.
La collezione comprende sculture ispirate ad alcune delle figure più iconiche della musica e della cultura del South Yorkshire, tra cui gli Arctic Monkeys, i Self Esteem, i Def Leppard, Richard Hawley e i Bring Me The Horizon, oltre a collaborazioni che rendono omaggio al patrimonio cinematografico, sportivo e creativo della regione.
One Pride, one place
The Pride of Yorkshire Farewell Event opened on Friday 2 October at Meadowhall, bringing together 150 life-sized lions and lionesses and 150 Little Pride cubs.
After months spent in locations throughout the region, seeing the entire collection in one place offers a very different perspective on the scale of the project.
Loadhog’s Head of Marketing, Helen Holdsworth, had the honour of officially opening the Farewell Event on behalf of Loadhog Foundation.
“Seeing all 300 sculptures together was an incredible moment,” said Helen. “Throughout the summer, we’ve watched people discover the lions in towns and cities across South Yorkshire, but bringing the whole Pride together really shows how many people have contributed to making this project happen.
“Being headline sponsor was never simply about putting the Loadhog name alongside the trail. We wanted to get behind something that celebrates our region, brings communities together and creates a meaningful legacy for Sheffield Children’s.”
Four lions with a special connection to Loadhog
Anyone following the trail over the summer may also have spotted four members of the Pride with a particularly close connection to Loadhog Foundation.
At Meadowhall, The Pride Reflects by Amy Jackson invited visitors to stop and take a closer look. In Barnsley, Ella Masters’ Get the Kettle On brought a familiar Yorkshire sentiment to The Glass Works.
Further afield, Lioness Grove by Peachzz made its home at Yorkshire Wildlife Park, while Inga Ziemele’s Herding Cats could be discovered in Rotherham Town Centre.
Loadhog Foundation sponsored all four sculptures, giving the team another way to become directly involved in a trail stretching across the region.
They also became firm favourites within Loadhog itself, with colleagues following their progress and getting involved with the wider campaign throughout the summer.
Why Pride of Yorkshire matters to us
Loadhog’s roots are in Sheffield, and although the business operates internationally, South Yorkshire remains home.
As an employee-owned company, there is a strong connection between the business, its people and the communities around it. Loadhog Foundation was created to turn some of that commitment into practical support, whether through charitable funding, volunteering, product donations or participation in community projects.
Pride of Yorkshire offered an opportunity to do that on a much larger scale.
“Projects like this show what is possible when organisations across a region work towards the same goal,” said Shaun Khan, Group Managing Director at Loadhog.
“There have been businesses, artists, schools, charities and communities involved at every stage. Everyone has contributed something different, but ultimately we’ve all been supporting the same cause.
“For us, the most important part is what happens as a result. The Pride might only be here for one summer, but the money it raises will help Sheffield Children’s support children and families for years to come.”
More than a summer of sculptures
That lasting impact is ultimately what Pride of Yorkshire is all about.
Funds raised through the campaign will support the transformation of the Emergency Department at Sheffield Children’s Hospital.
For a child arriving at hospital needing urgent treatment, the environment around them can make an already difficult experience feel even more overwhelming. The planned transformation aims to create a calmer, more welcoming and child-friendly space for children, young people and their families.
It means that when the sculptures eventually disappear from streets and public spaces across South Yorkshire, something much more important remains behind.
And the fundraising isn’t finished yet.
Following the Farewell Event, the life-sized lions and lionesses will head to charity auctions later this month, giving people the opportunity to take home a piece of the Pride while raising further funds for Sheffield Children’s Hospital Charity.
One last chance to meet the Pride
For now, though, there is still time for one final encounter.
The Pride of Yorkshire Farewell Event runs at Meadowhall’s Upper Yellow Car Park until Sunday 4 October, giving visitors the only opportunity to see all 300 sculptures gathered together.
The event is open from 10am until 5pm, with quiet hours between 10am and 11am each day. Tickets are £5 per person, family tickets are £15, and children under three can attend free of charge.
For everyone at Loadhog Foundation, the Farewell Event is a chance to celebrate a memorable summer – but also to recognise the artists, schools, businesses, volunteers, communities and visitors who made it possible.
The lions may be giving their final roar, but the legacy they leave behind is only just beginning.
