BHF's Love Installations are art for heart's sake
Howard Lake | 4 February 2013 | News
The British Heart Foundation (BHF) has unveiled two large heart-themed art installations in London's Covent Garden and Camden Lock with a combined education and fundraising aim.
Working with The Good Agency, BHF's 'Love Installations' mark National Heart Month. They consist of giant L.O.V.E and Heart sculptures made of galvanised steel, both over 2 metres high.
The charity is encouraging people to make public declarations of love at the art works from 1 to 17 February. In return for a suggested minimum donation of £3, they can write a message on a heart-shaped fob and then attach it with a red lock to one of the sculptures.
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The installations were created after research revealed that 86% of Londoners surveyed said that they preferred romantic gestures rather than expensive gifts. A quarter of them said that a love letter or poem was the perfect way to their heart.
Polly Shute, Fundraising Project Director, The British Heart Foundation explained: "It appears there is a real appetite for genuine and meaningful gestures of love this Valentine’s Day and Love Installations successfully taps into this while helping us to continue our life-saving work."
Chris Norman, Strategy Director at The Good Agency added: "We believe the best way to engage new audiences is through something interactive that allows them to express themselves in an emotional way. Where texts, emails and tweets are intangible and disposable we wanted to create something that references a time when love had an element of permanency".
The BHF is encouraging supporters to share their experiences at the Love Installations on Twitter with the hashtag #BHFLove.
www.bhf.org.uk/nationalheartmonth
About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.