The shiny geese of Riverside Park have been refurbished and are now flying proud again following a crowd funding campaign which beat its £700 target in just 24 hours.
Pic: Artist Sarah Filmer working on her geese installation. Photo: Ben Quextal

 

Tree surgeon Matt retrieved the artwork for renovation at ground level by artist Sarah Filmer and a small band of helpers on Sunday (April 24), to the interest of many park users.

Photo: Ben Quextal

As Sarah explained in an interview with bitternepark.info last month, there were about 20 geese that needed replacing out of 65. Many had become damaged particularly in the storms earlier in the year, with some flipping over.

Photo: Ben Quextal

“They are still alright in as much as they're still there, but for me we're at the point now where they either have to come down, because they have been so damaged, and some of them have flipped over, and they look very very different from when I first put them up. Which I think most people don't necessarily notice, but for me they're a shadow of their good selves,” she said.

Photo: Ben Quextal

In the end 87 backers pledged £925 on crowdfunding website Kickstarter to keep the geese flying. Cash was needed to pay for some fairly expensive materials, pay the tree surgeon and cover time.

There were various incentives for backers, including having words inscribed on a personalised goose – which many seemed to have taken up.

Sarah's said money over the total required for renovation work will go into other community projects.

Previously
Interview with artist Sarah Filmer about the geese
Appeal to keep Riverside geese flying beats target in 24 hours