Insurance giant Zurich becomes latest sponsor of Swindon's Big Dog Art Trail

Published by

Peter Davison

MrASingh with the Zurich Swindog

Insurance giant Zurich – one of the town's biggest employers – has signed up to be a sponsor of The Big Dog Art Trail.

Zurich is the latest Swindon business to sponsor to join the UK’s first-ever balloon dog art trail, which will raise essential funds for the local children’s hospice charity, Julia’s House.

Tim Bailey, Zurich UK CEO said: “Having grown up in Swindon, it’s great to be able to give something back to the community I had such a great start in.

"As one of Swindon’s largest employers, we have a longstanding history in the area with 1,000 of our UK team based here.

"Whilst the surrounding area is under extensive development, we’re really pleased to be a part of the Art Trail alongside the team at Julia’s House which is doing such amazing work.”

Their Swindog, one of 30 larger-than-life balloon dog sculptures that will be placed around Swindon this summer, will take pride of place in front of Unity Place, on Fleming Way.

Designed by MrASingh, an award-winning artist based in Birmingham, the sculpture will be given a vibrant, purple coat and covered with mandalas and lotus flowers.

“I am brand new to Swindon, so having a sponsor like Zurich, a huge company to provide insight and support when we want to promote the trail, Julia’s House and the sculpture to as many people as possible is fantastic,” said the artist.

“I heard the sculpture is going to be located at Unity Place, outside their new building, which is awesome.

“Being part of a public art trail is a fantastic feeling and you get to raise awareness of Swindon and help bring in tourism to the town.”

The Big Dog Art Trail will run from 15 July to 3 September, 2023, and end with a grand farewell weekend where all of the stunning Swindog sculptures will be brought together under one roof.

The giant one-of-a-kind creations will then head off to their forever homes after being adopted at a special auction event to raise money for Julia’s House children’s hospice.

Chris Hyde, project manager for The Big Dog Art Trail, said: “We are incredibly pleased to have Zurich join the pack for The Big Dog Art Trail.

“Zurich is well known in Swindon for not only being a fantastic employer but also for the important role they play in supporting the community with projects taking place across the town every year.

“The sculpture will sit in the heart of an area of Swindon which is undergoing a lot of change for the better and this will be an added attraction to the area.”

Peter Davison

Peter Davison is deputy editor of The Business Magazine. He has spent his life in journalism – doing work experience in newsrooms in and around Bristol while still at school, and landing his first job on a local newspaper aged 19. By 28 he was the youngest newspaper editor in the country. An early advocate of online news, he spent the first years of the 2000s telling his bosses that the internet posed both the biggest opportunity and greatest threat to the newspaper industry and the art of journalism. He was right on both counts. Since 2006 he has enjoyed a career as a freelance journalist. He lives in rural Wiltshire with one wife, two children, and three cats.