Oxford Street, one of London's most famous shopping destinations, already has a reputation for festive cheer with its countless Christmas window displays and glittering illuminations. This year there's a new addition to the Christmassy scene and it's doing something positive for the planet as well as for a good cause.
“Starlight Faerie”, a monumental fairy sculpture created by local artists Julie Beech and Danil Ripnar, is made entirely from waste materials collected across Westminster. These materials include an old mannequin from one of the shops in Oxford Street and used tealights from Westminster Abbey. Standing at three metres tall, this magical figure towers over passers-by and holds a glittering star wand over her head. She's designed to give visitors a place to pause and contemplate the life-cycle of the materials they use day-to-day.
Commissioned by Veolia and New West End Company, “Starlight Faerie” also supports Oxford Street's official charity partner, Starlight, which supports some of the sickest children in the UK and helps to make their stay in hospital a little bit brighter through play services. If you'd like to support this worthy cause yourself, there's a contactless donation point at the sculpture. You can also sponsor one of the stars that illuminate Oxford Street over the Christmas period to help make the season a bit brighter for a child in hospital.
This beautiful fairy will be in place at the corner of Oxford Street and South Molton Street until January. After that, she's going on tour around Westminster to continue spreading the message about sustainability and helping to support Starlight's valuable work.
