The Ginger Syringer' gives a cash injection to St Oswald's

Sarah-Jane has lived and worked in Tyneside for the last 20 years, and is no stranger to St Oswald’s, as she was one of the artists who painted a Great North Snowdog sculpture for our first art trail in 2016. After deciding to create a limited-edition print to help raise funds for the hospice, Sarah-Jane was inspired by international efforts of scientists who have fought hard to find a vaccine for Coronavirus, but adding her own unique twist.

The print, ‘The Ginger Syringer’ shows a gingerbread nurse giving a vaccination to a gingerbread person, both wearing masks of course! It was excitedly received by collectors of her work, selling out in under ten minutes!, Sarah-Jane has very generously gifted all profits from the sales to St Oswald’s – a massive £6,200!

Sarah Jane told us:

“I believe that when you have a small amount of success in your professional field, that is the time to pay a little back. St Oswald’s do important work, I have been involved in earlier fundraising activity for the charity and I know the difference it has made to families. I was involved with the Snowdogs trail a few years back  and I loved the creative approach and the community involvement that it led to, so the continuation seemed natural.

Like most people, I was knocked sideways by the pandemic and the lockdown. Although I work in a solitary way,  being unable to move around freely and see loved ones changed the whole nature of living and working alone.  The vaccination seems to be the way back to normality . I was inspired by the global effort to trial and produce the vaccine and  proud that the United Kingdom has played such an important role in producing the Oxford jab (I’ve had it!) I simply wanted to mark the moment.  I was doodling about and the little masked biscuits appeared.