A heart-themed installation in Sleaford’s Market Place will invite everyone to shout about someone or something they love, and to join in with FREE activities in the town centre across two separate events in February.
People will be able to take selfie-style photos at a love heart seat on Market Place, from Monday February 10 until Monday February 24. The heart seat will be available for photos through the day and in the evenings, when it will light up.
As part of the installation, heart-shaped tags will be available from nearby businesses. People can collect a tag from one of these locations and write a message to someone they love, or shout about something they feel makes Sleaford and North Kesteven a great place to be, and hang it on the seat.
Businesses nearby which would like to host heart tags for people to collect from them can email ecodev@n-kesteven.gov.uk The businesses hosting tags include Market Square Café & Restaurant, Bellissimo Boutique and The SOLO Bar in Sleaford’s Market Place, Treasured Trove inside Bristol Arcade, From Poland With Love opposite the Market Place, Ruth Burrows Art Shop & Studio in Navigation Yard, Lincolnshire Co-op's Travel branch on Southgate, and now Appetites on Southgate and Waffle & Chill in Market Place. Follow @northkestevendc and @businessnk on social media to see further businesses participating.
And of course all of Sleaford is sending love to Sessions at the Courthouse with Move Forward Fitness, which was due to host the heart tags there also, and to Anatolia at this difficult time following last week’s devastating fire.
On Saturday February 15 a Valentine’s themed day of FREE fun activities around the heart seat will follow at Market Place, including:
- Visit participating businesses to collect your heart tag and explore what they offer, all day;
- meet Rhubarb Theatre’s Queen of Hearts, accompanied by the Mad Hatter, from 10am until 1pm – and see if you can charm her enough to receive one of 100 free roses kindly sponsored by Interflora;
- have your portrait drawn for free by our caricature artist, between 10am and 1pm;
- enjoy three 30-minute performances from singer Chelsey Bamford, between 10am until 1pm;
- have your photograph portrait taken for free at the heart seat by a professional photographer, from 10am until 1pm.
Joining in with the Valentine's Day theme, Handley Monument on Southgate will also be lit red from Friday evening (Valentine's Day, Friday February 14) and across the weekend.
The following Saturday, February 22, there’ll be a healthy heart event from 10am to 2pm on Market Place and inside St Denys’ Church Hall including:
- A pop-up caving experience at Market Place for children to explore;
- Health-based stands including Jim’s Gym, Wellness Lincs, New Image Gym, Better Gym, Co-op Wellbeing Walks, Sleaford Tennis Club, OneYou Lincolnshire, Shine, Slimming World and Mindfulness with Stuart Couling;
- FREE cholesterol and diabetes testing in St Denys’ Church Hall; and
- another chance to take your own selfie at the heart seat, before it leaves Market Place the following Monday on February 24.
North Kesteven District Council Leader Councillor Richard Wright said: “It’s good to see the heart seat installation return to Sleaford, after it was first shown at the Riverside Precinct in 2023, and I look forward to seeing everyone enjoy it in the historic setting of the Market Place.
“This time we’re excited to be delivering two days of free community activity around it. The Valentine’s Day themed celebration on February 15 – including live performers, a rose giveaway sponsored by Interflora, a caricature artist, photo portraits and more – and the day of healthy heart and fitness on February 22 both promise to be enjoyable and provide even more reason to visit the town centre and make a day of it, which in turn supports the surrounding businesses.
“Don’t miss your chance to pick up a heart tag from the participating businesses and dedicate a message on the heart seat to someone dear to you, or celebrate a business, place or aspect that you love about Sleaford and North Kesteven.”
The heart seat installation forms part of the Events Programme funded by Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. It follows the WinterLight celebration on December 21 and 22 which officially welcomed people back onto Market Place, following the regeneration works.
In a public feedback survey after the WinterLight activity, 76% of respondents said the celebrations were either ‘good’ or ‘very good’. The light projection onto St Denys’ Church and the community lantern procession, which wound its way from the Hub at 3.30pm on December 21 through the town centre and on to Market Place, were singled out as enjoyable highlights among other aspects.
It’s estimated that the WinterLight event attracted over 1,200 participants in total who enjoyed the free activities, including lantern-making workshops led by Lumo Workshop in the run-up to the weekend, the community procession, ice-skating sessions on both days and face painting hosted at From Poland With Love.