Friday, 7th March 2025 was the night of the 36th Yorkshire Awards and the perfect setting for a former Yorkshire Award winner, Lindsey Burrow, to unveil the Brothers in Arms portrait commissioned by the Society and donated to Leeds Hospitals Charity, to hang in pride of place at the new Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease at Seacroft hospital, when it opens later this year.

The idea for the portrait was born at last year’s Yorkshire Awards, as a means to raise funds for mnda and the new MND centre through sales of limited edition prints of a painting.  So, after much deliberation and research, the portrait was commissioned from Duncan Shoosmith in the Summer of 2024. Duncan is a former winner of the Sky TV Portrait Artist of the Year competition and delivered the painting in November 2024 after which specialist photography and printing was undertaken.

Prints are available HERE where you can also read the full story of the painting.

Leeds Hospitals Charity was the chosen charity for this year’s Yorkshire Awards and Gala Dinner event and Lindsey was their guest of honour. For the unveiling, which was a feature event of the evening, she was accompanied on stage by Paul Watkins, Director of Fundraising for the charity, and interviewed by Christine Talbot, the former Calendar presenter on ITV, as was Paul. Between them, they gave some background on the fundraising efforts of Kevin Sinfield CBE to build the Rob Burrow Centre with Lindsey adding a very personal view before the portrait was revealed.

There was an emotional gasp in the room and enthusiastic applause from the nearly 250 guests when the very appropriately named Brothers in Arms painting was uncovered.

In honour of Rob’s shirt number, a total of 7777 prints of the painting have been created in three editions, including 77 very special prints not only signed and numbered by the artist, but also signed by Kevin Sinfield CBE himself. These were quickly snapped up when released but print No. 7, Rob’s shirt number at Leesd Rhinos, was kept back for this occiassion so it could be auctioned to raise money for the Rob Burrow Centre for MND. A huge thank you goes to Bob Bowman, CEO of the Leeds Rhinos Foundation, who bid £1200 for the framed print, to win a very competitive auction.

Bob Bowman (left) with print No 7 and Paul Watkins of Leeds Horpitals Charity

When all 7777 prints have been sold, the Society hopes to have raised over £100,000 for mnda and Leeds Hospitals Charity.  For more information about the portrait, the Yorkshire Awards or the Society’s fundraising, please write to contact@theyorkshiresociety.org