Tucked away on an industrial park off Sheffield Parkway is a cavernous warehouse where 300 lions are slowly taking shape for the Pride of Yorkshire trail. The space belongs to Simpson Patterns, a business with a 20-year history that has grown into a hub of creativity and skill. The team were behind the Bears of Sheffield in 2021 and are once again playing a central role – but this time on a much bigger scale.

“It’s a hard job!”

On the shop floor, Connor Walsh is Project Lead on the lions, and is deep in the tricky business of turning patterns into sculptures. He’s been working his way through all 75 male lions – and has finally finished, much to his relief! He told us: ‘The head’s a nightmare!’.

Connor added: “It’s a hard job to do. Just making them 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, and it’s harder than it looks, but it’s 100 per cent worth it.”

Designing the final model

Before a sculpture is made, the process begins digitally. Joe Faulks, one of the CAD engineers, explains: “We were given three small figures to scan and produce a mould from, which took a couple of weeks.”

“First you scan the figures, which creates a 3D image. After you get the scans you can then put them together and create a mesh model. We make sure the model will be watertight, and then use sculpting tools to smooth out areas on the model, removing all of the gaps and imperfections.”

Pride of Yorkshire on “another level”

Alex Goddard is the Director at Simpson Patterns, having joined as an apprentice ten years ago.
He remembers working on The Bears of Sheffield, but tells us the Pride of Yorkshire is “on another level”. Alex said :

“From a business perspective, it’s a fantastic project to be involved in. We’ve got 18 months to do this project and it will have everyone in South Yorkshire interested and talking about it. You’ll be speaking to somebody who doesn’t know you – and you mention you’re making the Lions or the Bears – and suddenly they know what you do and what you’re talking about.”

The best bit about the project?

When we ask the team what the best thing is about the project, they tell us, resoundingly: “What it’s for!” .

Connor said: “You can’t beat it. It’s for the Sheffield Children’s Hospital. I’ve got a young daughter myself who’s 3 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. I’m sure my daughter will love to see what her dad’s made.”

Alex, Connor and Joe show the scale and skill behind Pride of Yorkshire.

The lions will take to the streets of South Yorkshire in Summer 2026, raising funds for Sheffield Children’s and giving the region another chance to come together.

Asked what makes Director Alex proud to be from Yorkshire, he says: “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!”

About Sponsoring Pride of Yorkshire

Big, bold and brilliant campaigns like this one are made possible by incredible sponsors and partners, like Simpsons Patterns. There are plenty of ways businesses can get involved in Pride of Yorkshire – from sponsoring a sculpture, to creating and selling a bespoke product.

Find out more about how your business can get involved on the Businesses Page.

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Pride of Yorkshire will run from June 2026 – September 2026 across South Yorkshire. Watch this space for more information, how to get involved and support and for artists announcements on our website.

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