Celebrating 30 years: Art installation honouring seven Community Game Changers unveiled in London

A stunning installation honouring seven Game Changers from across the UK has been unveiled to kick-off The National Lottery’s 30th birthday celebrations.

Portraits of the seven appeared on the water at London’s iconic St. James’s Park, managed by The Royal Parks charity, in recognition of their game-changing impact on their respective communities with the help of National Lottery players who raise £30 million every week for good causes.

Created by renowned grandmaster graffiti artist Luis Gomez De Teran, the images on Perspex screens appear to float on the water at the Royal Park and are unveiled by broadcaster, Adele Roberts

The seven ‘Game Changers’ featured in the artwork are:

● Ed Parker, founder of Walking with the Wounded. After his nephew lost both legs in Afghanistan, ex-veteran Ed Parker founded military charity Walking with the Wounded, to help tens of thousands of ex-service personnel and their families find their place in society again.

● Trevor Lyttleton MBE, founder of Re-engage (formerly Contact the Elderly). For over 50 years, Trevor’s charity has held tea parties to tackle the national shame of loneliness in the elderly, with a belief that “all you need is a warm heart, a warm welcome, a downstairs toilet, and a large teapot.”

● Dame Laura Lee, CEO of Maggie’s cancer care charity for 28 years. Maggie’s was the vision of Maggie Keswick Jencks, who had an idea for a different type of cancer care as she lived with advanced cancer for two years. She died in 1995, but Laura, Maggie’s nurse and friend, worked with Maggie’s family to ensure her vision became a reality.

● Sandra Igwe, founder of The Motherhood Group. Born from her personal experiences of racism in healthcare, postnatal depression and anxiety, Sandra Igwe is a formidable advocate for black maternal health and the visionary founder of The Motherhood Group, a social enterprise dedicated to supporting black mothers through culturally competent care and community-based initiatives.

● Marcus Fair, founder of Eternal Media. Marcus survived a 25-year heroin and crack cocaine addiction, vast swathes of homelessness and multiple prison sentences before going on to found Wrexham charity Eternal Media. Supporting more than 700 offenders and ex-offenders to give them opportunities in filmmaking and showing them a new way to live.

● Javeno McLean, personal trainer, community champion and owner of the award-winning J7 Health Centre in North Manchester. Celebrated for his life-changing work with disabled people, the elderly and those suffering from Long Covid, whose inspirational social media videos have garnered millions of followers worldwide.

● Conor Largey, Belfast Youth Worker. Transforming his path from skipping school and getting in trouble, to a life dedicated to helping young people achieve their goals and potential, Conor has earned recognition for the positive development of Belfast’s youth sector.