- More than 150 residents involved with blacksmithing workshops to create new public sculpture
- Unity Shield unveiled as permanent installation at Tamworth Castle on 21 March
- Project celebrates Tamworth’s heritage and promotes resilience, inclusion, and community pride
Tamworth Borough Council is delighted to announce the official unveiling of the Unity Shield; a striking new sculpture created with the hands and creativity of more than 150 local residents.
Public are invited to celebrate the creativity and community spirit that brought the Unity Shield to life by watching the unveiling on Saturday 21 March at 2.45pm from the perimeter walk at the top of the castle motte.
The Unity Shield brings traditional craft skills into the community and provides a positive, collaborative focus for participants.
The sculpture is delivered through the Handcrafted Heritage programme, a Tamworth Borough Council initiative led by Tamworth Castle. The programme brought traditional craft skills, many of which would have been common in Anglo-Saxon Mercia and was supported by the Community Recovery Fund and the Asylum Dispersal Fund.
Between June and December 2025, residents joined workshops across Tamworth, working alongside skilled blacksmiths to forge individual steel elements that now form the completed sculpture.
The workshops were led by Richard Salisbury, a skilled blacksmith, who helped each participant forge a hand or symbol in steel, leaving their initials and a personal contribution to a lasting artwork that celebrates Tamworth’s Anglo-Saxon history and the strength of its modern community.
Drawing inspiration from Tamworth’s Anglo-Saxon heritage as the historic capital of Mercia, the sculpture incorporates symbolic motifs incorporating animal symbols from the Staffordshire Hoard. These represented power and protection in Anglo-Saxon culture and are fitting for Tamworth.
The shield will be permanently installed on the castle’s perimeter walk. A woven and hand-embroidered Anglo-Saxon inspired shield display, created by the castle’s regular castle craft volunteer group, will also accompany the unveiling.
This project demonstrates the power of collaboration, craftsmanship, and heritage in bringing communities together, welcoming everyone from young to old, faith groups, ethnic minority groups, youth organisations, people seeking asylum, people living with dementia and their carers. The Unity Shield will serve as a lasting reminder of Tamworth’s rich history and the shared effort of its residents.
Councillor Sarah Daniels, portfolio holder for cooperative council, community partnerships and ASB, said: “Creating the Unity Shield marks a proud moment for Tamworth. This remarkable artwork is forged with traditional skills, inspired by Anglo-Saxon history, and created by members of our community, providing us with a lasting symbol of our shared heritage and future.
“Through Handcrafted Heritage we were proud to support the project, and we’re delighted that the finished sculpture will now be unveiled at Tamworth Castle, where it can be admired and celebrated by residents and visitors for years to come.”
Notes:
The Unity Shield project is delivered by Tamworth Borough Council and funded from: Part of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government community recovery fund, a grant of £600,000 awarded following the civil unrest in Tamworth on 4 August, to enhance community cohesion and rebuild social trust in Tamworth.
Part of the Home Office Asylum Dispersal grant, to support integration and strong community relations.