Sophie at home, in training for the London Marathon, 2003
As a small child, Sophie had to endure several months in and out of hospital
with suspected Leukaemia, eventually being diagnosed with Thrombocytopenia.
Her abiding memory of her stay in hospital is one of boredom. She has always
felt that there was a great need, not just to brighten up children’s
wards but provide something imaginative, stimulating and challenging in the
form of pictures and sculpture for children to enjoy.
In 2003, Sophie started an Art fund for Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital, in London. She asked for donations of sculpture, pictures and ceramics from artists, clients and friends who generously gave their support. She also ran in the London Marathon to raise money for the Art fund. After three years of fund raising, in collaboration with Great Ormond Street, she was told that none of the work was acceptable or appropriate, including her own. It was a great, personal, disappointment for Sophie, not just for herself and the hard work she had put in but because so many others had kindly made such wonderful contributions to the fund which she felt could have been of considerable benefit for sick children in hospital. Great Ormond Street has accepted the financial contribution however and her only hope now, is that the thousands of pounds raised, will be used for the purpose she intended. Sophie is still looking to place the work somewhere where she feels it would be of value and she is still running marathons for pleasure. She ran the the New York Marathon in November, 2005 and was due to run the Edinburgh Marathon and the Great North Run in 2006. She thinks that perhaps the Triathlon might be her next challenge.....more