Foundation Stones – Bradfiord, UK
Posted by: 
dtrebilc
N 53° 47.593 W 001° 44.873
30U E 582479 N 5961242
These 7 feet high stone statues represent the original relationship between a Provident insurance agent and customer.
Waymark Code: WMF3M1
Location: Yorkshire, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 08/17/2012
Views: 2
Provident Financial plc is a financial services group based in Bradford, UK. It specialises in Home Collected Credit for small loans.
The company was founded in 1880 in Bradford by Joshua Kelly Waddilove. He was an insurance agent and noticed that many working class families struggled to pay for essential items such as furniture, clothes and shoes. Joshua realised that something needed to change and devised a system to help families provide for themselves through the use of vouchers which could be exchanged in local shops for clothing, food and coal. The families then repaid the vouchers in small weekly instalments which they could afford.
The sculpture represents an early customer and agent entering details of the vouchers in a ledger.
The sculpture was carved by Gordon Young at the former head office building on Sunbridge Road. It took him 9 months and he used a company flat on top of the building.
The sculpture was unveiled on 18th July 1986 and stood in the grounds of the former head office.
In September 2010 the company moved into new premises on Thornton Road in the city centre. Although a modern building it has no grounds in which the sculptures could be sited.
The company donated the sculpture to Bradford and they sited it on an open grassed surface on Hall Ings Road on 5th March 2012. It was felt that this space was a good site as it has a lot of passing pedestrians.
It is near to the site of a proposed shopping centre and so is likely to be passed by more people once the centre opens its doors.
Name or use 'Unknown' if not known: Foundation Stones
Figure Type: Human
Artist Name or use 'Unknown' if not known: Gordon Young
Date created or placed or use 'Unknown' if not known: Created 18 July 1986 re-sited on 5 March 2012
Materials used: Mansfield stone
Location: Hall Ings Road
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