Ellen is recognised for her contribution to Leeds

Ellen Scroop, Clinical Team Manager in Emerge Leeds’ Complex Emotional Needs Service has had her name added to sculpture that celebrates women, both past and present, who have made a significant contribution to the city of Leeds.

Created by artist, Pippa Hale, Ribbons is a sculpture that champions women’s achievements in Leeds. It was unveiled recently at its location at the top of the gardens between Leeds City College’s Quarry Hill campus and Leeds Playhouse at the gateway to the SOYO development at Quarry Hill.

Ribbons is comprised of five corten steel ribbons which carry the names of 383 nominated Leeds women. Ellen was nominated by six different people, a testimony to the esteem in which she is held.

“This sculpture is beautiful and a long overdue tribute to the many women who have had a positive impact on Leeds and its people. Such a brilliant project. I never expected for a moment to be part of it! I was totally stunned to find out I had been nominated by friends and colleagues. It was very humbling to attend the launch and see my name alongside so many brilliant women and share the moment with my two sons,” says Ellen.

Each woman recognised is listed on the sculpture’s website with background information on why she has been included, Ellen’s statement reads as follows:

Ellen Scroop has worked for over 20 years supporting community health in Leeds. She has made her mark on the city through pioneering work with the Probation Service and NHS, playing a key role in revitalising a struggling system of support for those with complex needs. Underpinning these successes is Ellen’s compassion, empathy and modesty, and a passion for achieving just and healthy communities. Ellen is an inspirational leader, advocate, friend and mother, a true unsung hero who is rarely in the spotlight despite her unwavering commitment to improving mental health across the city.

Jamie Scott is a Service Manager with the Trust’s Personality Disorder and Neurodevelopmental Services and one of the six people that nominated Ellen.

‘I was so delighted to hear about Ellen being celebrated in this way, she’s an inspirational person to know and work with, many congratulations again,’ said Jamie.

Speaking after the unveiling of the sculpture Pippa Hale said the idea for the sculpture “stemmed from (an) idea of celebrating lots of women, and also naming them.

“We’ve got lots of old Victorian statues of men, particularly in Leeds, and I think there was an ambition to redress this gender imbalance in public art in the city. So, other cities were commissioning figurative sculptures of historic women, particularly the suffragettes, or women who’d been involved in social reform. I think the idea was to do something different … where we could name not just one woman, but many women.”

Among the names on the sculpture are the social reformer and suffragist Isabella Ford, the former Olympic boxer Nicola Adams and the founder of Leeds West Indian carnival, Gertrude Paul.

The sculpture also pays homage to the unsung heroes of the city and those who have dedicated their lives to helping others, such as Tina Suryavansi, who runs Homeless Hampers, and Rebekah Wilson, who set up the charity Zarach to address child poverty. A full list of names of the women featured can be found on the sculpture’s website.

Page last updated: 17th Oct 2024 9:52am