Why this huge new steel heart sculpture will be unveiled outside Meadowhall this morning

The Heart of Steel sculpture will be showcased this morning, allowing thousands of people to become part of history.

Visitors to the huge shopping centre will be able to engrave their names and those of loved ones on to the 2.4m-high sculpture.

Created by artist Steve Mehdi, the Heart of Steel is part of the wider Steel Man project – a much anticipated future landmark which will overlook Sheffield and act as a gateway to the region.

Its unveiling will mark a big step forward in what has been a nearly decade-long mission by artist Steve Mehdi to get the mammoth monument built and in place on a hillside overlooking Meadowhall.

Among those commemorated will be the late Rotherham comedian Barry Chuckle, who was one half of the Chuckle Brothers.

The super alloy Heart has been built with the support of a group of Yorkshire businesses and will eventually hold 150,000 names, before being inserted into The Steel Man.

To play a part in this pioneering project, Meadowhall visitors can make a donation to engrave a name by visiting www.thesteelman.co.uk, with the British Heart Foundation receiving a percentage of donations.

The funds will help The Steel Man team in its ambition to become an icon for the Yorkshire region and fund life saving research for people living with heart and circulatory diseases.