Every so often, a project comes along that really shows what the arboricultural community is capable of when people put their time, skills and enthusiasm into something worthwhile.
Project Iconic is one of those projects.
After 12 months of work by Chris Wyatt of CTS Forestry & Arboriculture, alongside STEIN, four remarkable pieces of rope artwork were completed and raffled to raise money for the Air Ambulance.
The result? An incredible £2,000 raised for charity, four very happy winners and a project that brought plenty of people together along the way.
12 Months of Evenings and Weekends
Project Iconic was created by Chris Wyatt from CTS Forestry & Arboriculture, working alongside STEIN.
Chris spent an extraordinary 12 months of evenings and weekends creating four unique pieces of artwork inspired by iconic arborist climbing equipment.
For anyone familiar with rope work, the amount of patience and attention to detail involved is immediately apparent. These weren't simply models of climbing equipment. They were carefully constructed pieces of art, created using the skills and techniques that Chris has developed through his passion for rope work.
It's one thing to understand the equipment we use in the industry. It's another to take that inspiration and spend a full year turning it into something completely different.
The finished pieces were a real credit to Chris's dedication, and the fact that all this work was being done to support charity made the project even more impressive.
If you haven't seen his work before, we'd encourage you to visit @ropeartist.42 on Instagram.
Our Involvement at the APF Exhibition
ARB Surplus was pleased to be involved with Project Iconic at the APF Exhibition, where we spoke to visitors, explained the background to the project and helped people understand just how much time and effort had gone into creating the four pieces.
It was great to see the interest in the artwork and to have the opportunity to talk to people about the charity it was supporting.
Events like APF are always a good opportunity to catch up with people across the arboricultural industry, but being involved in something like Project Iconic made it particularly worthwhile.
It's a reminder that there's a lot more to our industry than buying and selling equipment. There are some incredibly talented people out there who are willing to give up their own time to help others.
£2,000 Raised for the Air Ambulance
The four pieces of artwork were offered as prizes in a charity raffle, raising money for the Air Ambulance service supporting Warwickshire, Northamptonshire, Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Rutland.
Thanks to everyone who purchased tickets and supported the project, the raffle raised a fantastic £2,000.
The winners have now been announced and have received their prizes, bringing the original raffle to a successful conclusion.
The Air Ambulance charity provides vital emergency medical services, helping people facing serious injuries and medical emergencies.
For those of us involved in arboriculture, forestry and other outdoor industries, the importance of emergency medical response is something we can all appreciate.
Supporting a charity that helps provide these services is certainly a worthwhile cause.
Didn't Win the Iconic? There's Still the T-Shirt!
Of course, with only four pieces of artwork available, there were always going to be plenty of people who didn't win.
But the fundraising doesn't have to stop there.
Our friends at Treeshirtz have created a special Project Iconic charity T-shirt to give people another opportunity to support the cause.
The design features illustrations of all four iconic pieces of climbing equipment, along with the words:
"I Didn't Win the Iconic... So I Got the T-Shirt!"
It's a bit of arborist fun, but there's a serious purpose behind it.
For every Project Iconic T-shirt sold, Treeshirtz will donate £10 to the Air Ambulance charity.
The fundraising initiative will run until Christmas, with the aim of adding a little more to the money already raised.
It's also a nice way to recognise Chris's work and keep the story of Project Iconic going beyond the original raffle.
Thank You to Everyone Who Supported Project Iconic
Thanks to everyone who supported the raffle, visited the stand at APF, helped with the project or shared it with others.
If you'd like to support the cause, you can take a look at the Project Iconic charity T-shirt at Treeshirtz.
£10 from every shirt sold will be donated to the Air Ambulance charity.
And finally, congratulations to the four lucky winners of Chris's original artwork.
For everyone else, there's always the T-shirt!
