A new sculpture celebrating mentorship and youth empowerment has been unveiled in Brightlingsea.

The sculpture, which has been installed in Millennium Gardens on Promenade Way marks the tenth anniversary of local charity Lads Need Dads, which has supported boys growing up without a father figure since 2015.

Titled ‘The Strength to Stand Beside’, the sculpture – said to reflect values of mentorship, resilience, and youth empowerment – was developed by Essex artist Luke Edgar, in collaboration with his father John, following a workshop he delivered for the charity.

It was installed by Brightlingsea Town Council with support from Tendring District Council (TDC) and the Arts Council England as part of the Youth Voice Project, a collaboration between Tendring Cultural Education Partnership, TDC and Arts Council England.

Gary Scott, TDC’s cabinet member for arts, culture and heritage, said: “This sculpture is a powerful and moving tribute to the importance of mentoring and the strength that comes from walking alongside young people. It’s a celebration of ten years of life-changing work by Lads Need Dads, and a reminder of the positive impact that creative projects like Youth Voice can have in our communities.

Founded in 2015 and based in Tendring, Lads Need Dads is an award-winning not-for-profit Community Interest Company, set up to prevent potential problems and address existing ones where boys are missing a father-figure in their lives. It is currently one of the only projects in the UK that works proactively to address the impact of the absent father on boys aged 10 to 18.

Attached image shows Brightlingsea Town Council’s grounds manager Terry Hamilton, town councillor Graham Steady, Gary Scott, TDC’s Cabinet Member for Arts, Culture and Heritage, and Sonia Shaljean, founder and managing director of Lads Need Dads.