A lucky 13-year-old girl has been chosen as part of a unique trio for an eye-catching display of life-size statues on the Upper Lea Valley Walk near Luton.
She is unofficially the ‘Angel of the South’ carved from the same metal as the iconic Angel of the North near Gateshead.
When she joined the First Luton Sea Scouts in September 2011, Neha Shah had no idea her carved portrait would soon share a site overlooking Luton Hoo along with comedian Eric Morecambe and famous landscape designer Lancelot (Capability) Brown.
But she is now one of more than 250 subjects chosen by thousands of people around the UK whose sculptures grace 85 national pathways.
Sustrans, the award-winning walking and cycling charity said: “We created the Portrait Benches to honour local people who make an important contribution to the life of their community. They also provide an eye-catching life-size group you can sit among to capture the spirit of the region.” In Luton, the Sea Scouts were selected as the oldest group in the town who have made their own unique contribution to the youth of the area since they were formed in 1909.
And they still sail their boats on the lake at Luton Hoo designed by Capability Brown.
On selection night, all the best turned-out Sea Scouts had their names entered into a random draw and Neha was the lucky winner. Her photograph, taken at the time, was used as the model for her lifelike statue.
The Harlington Upper School pupil said: “What an awesome prize. I just can’t believe it.” Neha’s mother Rita said: “My daughter loves the Scouts and the amazing opportunities they have for water activities and adventure sports. She has her heart set on a place at Oxford University but knows she has to work hard to stand a chance.”
Part of one of the biggest ever public arts projects in the UK, the statues on the Luton to Harpenden pathway were manufactured by Midlands-based laser-cutting specialists Laser Process Ltd. They chose Corten steel for the project as it ages to a deep tan colour and will last for decades just like the Angel of the North.
In years to come Neha can bring her children to the spot to show them what their mother did all those years ago. A party of Sea Scouts, led by Scout leader Phil Jeffries, made a special journey to the site high up on the Upper Lea Valley Walk near Luton to give Neha a rousing cheer when the statues were unveiled.