The Yorkshire Society is leading an ambitious project, with Motor Neurone Disease Association and Leeds Hospitals Charity, to raise money for mnda and the new Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease being built at Seacroft Hospital.

BUILDING ON OUR RELATIONSHIPS SO FAR

The Society has an established relationship with both Rob and Kevin, who have both received Yorkshire Awards in recent years. Rob’s wife, Lindsey, also received the Woman of the Year award in 2023. It has been our honour, to honour these heros of our Yorkshire community.

Moreover, we have helped raise both awareness and hard cash for mnda and Leeds Hospitals Charity to help fund their amazing work, inspired by Rob and Kevin.

Earlier this year, we came up with an idea to raise, hopefully, £100,000 for mnda, Leeds Hositals Charity and The Yorkshire Society. Since then, a great deal of time and effort has gone into bringing the idea into reality and below is where we are now.

IMMORTALISING KEVIN SINFIELD CBE AND ROB BURROW CBE IN A WORK OF ART

The Yorkshire Society has commissioned a portrait painting. But this isn’t just any portrait, by any artist, this is a portrait of Kevin and Rob by the renowned Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year winner, Duncan Shoosmith.

The artist has been charged with creating, for posterity, a painting that captures the unique bond and friendship between these two heros. A friendship that has motivated Kevin Sinfield to raise more than £10m for mnda and the new Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease, a unit so desperately needed by sufferers of the disease, like Rob. The final image is being kept a carefully guarded secret.

THE ARTIST

Duncan Shoosmith won Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year in 2019 after impressing the judges with incredible paintings of actor Laura Linney and iconic singer Cleo Laine. His prize was £50,000 and a commission to paint Sir Tom Jones for the National Museum in Cardiff.

Duncan’s style was felt to be ideal for the heroic status of the two subjects but the final composition is being kept a closely guarded secret.

A FIRST LOOK AT THE INITIAL SKETCH

RAISING FUNDS FOR MNDA AND LEEDS HOSPITALS CHARITY

Soon we will be announcing details of the project to raise a target of £100,000 for mnda, Leeds Hospitals Charity and the not-for-profit Society. The original painting will be donated to Leeds Hospitals Charity to be placed in the new Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease as its permanent home – a reminder to everyone how and why the centre was created.

Below is a brief overview of the project.

The painting will be unveiled in front of a VIP audience and the media at a special event; the date and location is still to be decided.

THE MAGIC OF THE NUMBER 7 AND AN OPPORTUNITY TO OWN A PIECE OF HISTORY

An exclusive run of 777 limited edition print of this historic painting will be produced, with 700 signed and numbered by the artist, and accompanied by a certificate of authenticy and personal letter of thanks. However, 77 prints will be very special indeed and also signed by Rugby League legend Kevin Sinfield CBE personally too.

Those buying one of the special ’77’ will also be invited to the unveiling of the painting and the opening of the Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease too, though this is necessarily subject to the timing of these events. For more information or if you would like to reserve one of these special prints, please register your interest by writing to: contact@theyorkshiresociety.org