Nearly 200,000 lions 'collected' as Pride of Portsmouth centenary trail captivates city

The Portsmouth100 lion trail has proved to be a roaring success as people of all ages have spent the long, hot summer holidays on a city safari to track them down.

The Pride of Portsmouth was not only a showpiece of the centenary celebrations but a means of giving people a chance to get outside and active, explore all parts of the city and learn more about the people and places that shape it.

With streets and open spaces becoming part of a free, family art trail the city council has revealed that up to last Friday more than 194,000 lions had been ‘collected - the term used to count every time someone has visited a lion and downloaded the unique QR code on the Pride of Portsmouth app.

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It is an incredible result for the city council - which delivered the trail in partnership with Wild in Art - who had thought it would be good in the 100th birthday year to have 100,000 collections between the launch on July 13 and its finish on Sunday, September 13.

And the total does not include anyone following the trail through paper maps printed in The News - who are The Pride of Portsmouth media partners - and available from city libraries or downloaded from the trail website.

Shining a spotlight on the city’s creativity and community spirit

Council leader Coun Steve Pitt said: "We've been really happy with the response to the Pride of Portsmouth lion art trail. Wherever you go in the city, you can see people out with friends and family finding the lions, taking photos, and sharing their favourites online.

"The trail was created as part of our Portsmouth100 celebrations to encourage people to get out and explore Portsmouth, and it's been fantastic to see so many residents and visitors doing exactly that. It has brought people together, supported local attractions and businesses, and shone a spotlight on the creativity and community spirit that make our city so special.’

Cllr Pitt added: ‘We would like to thank our artists, sponsors, venue partners and everyone who has taken part. The enthusiasm people have shown for the trail has been incredible and we're really proud of the impact it has had across the city.

‘The good news is there's still time to get involved! The trail runs until Sunday, September 13 - so whether you're aiming to find all the lions or just a few of your favourites, we'd encourage everyone to get out and enjoy this fantastic celebration of Portsmouth.’

Trail-finders have racked up 2,200 miles on their city safaris

The lions have also certainly kept people active across the summer. Trailfinders who captured on the app the distance they have travelled around the city have racked up more than 2,200 miles - enough to allow a crow to fly to the coast of Newfoundland in Canada or Cairo in Egypt.

On average each lion-seeker has visited 21 out of the 46 lions - with the most ‘collected’ being One Hundred Voices: A Portsmouth Patchwork in Gunwharf Quays with 5,584 collects up to last Friday evening.

Voted the most popular so far though has been Cushty at Hilsea Bus Station - created by Daisy Barker, a creative director, artist and sign painter with twelve years of experience in art direction and graphic design.

Daisy told The News: ‘I was born, raised and went to school in Portsmouth so I tried to capture in my design as many things which are local. If you are from outside the city you may not spot them but for residents there are so many things to look at. I put so much hard work into it that it's nice to know that it’s gone down well - I even received an email from one person who wanted to know if they could include part of my design on a new tattoo!’

Daisy added: ‘Being involved was brilliant. It is great that Portsmouth is doing stuff to support local artists and bringing excitement and creativity around the city. I know so many friends and mums who have taken their children out and made a real day of it. It’s been brilliant - so let’s do more!’

‘As lion hunters we are up to 33 - and are just hooked’

The stats capture the numbers. But the real fun created by The Pride of Portsmouth trail has been seen in the amount of feedback the council has received.

‘Lion hunters’ Denise and Dan Birkett said: ‘I just wanted to let you know we are having a great time finding lions. On the way we are seeing different parts of Portsmouth, learning lots from the amazing artwork and meeting lots of other lion hunters too. We are up to 33 and we are just hooked. Why don't you extend the trail to October half term? It is a wonderful adventure.’

Vicky Newman said: ‘I just wanted to email to say how brilliant I think the lion trail is. It is very popular throughout the city and I think I've spoken to different people at each different lion location, which is how many they have found, who they are finding them with and their favourite so far.

‘I think it is something that we can be really proud of, it has given families something to do and the fact it is free during the current economic difficulties makes it even better. I have a young son and he gets so excited when we plan to find the next lion, especially when he spots it.

‘The artists have done a fantastic job and I think everyone is doing the trail in the right spirit and the communities and everyone visiting have shown respect for the sculptures. Thank you again, as it's just fantastic.’

The trail was made possible through the support of sponsors across the city.

One Hundred Voices: A Portsmouth Patchwork - the most collected lion so far - was sponsored by Hampshire Flag Company and Portsmouth Pride and hosted by Gunwharf Quays.

CP Robinson, Chair of Portsmouth Pride Trust, said: ‘One Hundred Voices is an incredible piece of art by Angela Chick. It represents 100 LGBTQ+ people who have made Portsmouth their home, many coming from other towns and cities.

‘It's a beacon of the culture of Portsmouth and a truly touching reminder of how far we've come as a society and community. We were honoured when Hampshire Flag Company asked to co-sponsor this Lion with us and thrilled when our partners at Gunwharf Quays agreed to host it and stock an exclusive limited edition pin badge to raise vital funds for our charity.

‘Knowing that our lion has been the most visited so far is amazing, and knowing that so many people have read those messages of 100 LGBTQ+ people finding home in Portsmouth, finding friends in Portsmouth, or finding love in Portsmouth means so much to us.’

Yvonne Clay, Gunwharf Quays Centre Director, said: 'It's been an amazing summer seeing our guests at Gunwharf Quays engaging with the Pride of Lions as part of the Portsmouth 100 celebrations. We have had fantastic feedback, with guests getting involved with the trail, and taking time to understand the messaging and to find more about Portsmouth.

‘Injecting these touches of creativity across the city has been great to see, and it's been a joy to see all of the Lions featured across social media. It's been a great way of celebrating our history and creativity, and highlighting Portsmouth as a fantastic summer holiday spot. With a few more weeks to go, there's still time to get involved.'