Sussex fire helmets re-designed for art exhibition

Decommissioned fire helmets transformed into works of art for a charity exhibition have gone on display in Sussex.

The 25 helmets now on display at Worthing Town Hall, West Sussex, will be auctioned off to raise money for The Fire Fighters Charity, West Sussex County Council (WSCC) said.

Each helmet has previously been worn by a firefighter attending an incident for West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service (WSFRS).

More than 60 designs were submitted by artists for consideration during the project.

'Blows your mind'

Assistant chief fire officer Peter Rickard from WSFRS told BBC Radio Sussex: "Our fire helmets are so important to the role we do.

"You have some good times in them and some challenging times but to see them all transformed into artwork and all the different designs absolutely blows your mind."

Mr Rickard donated his former helmet which he wore during his service at the Croydon tram derailment with the London Fire Brigade.

Artist Roger Moore, a former firefighter with the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service, said: " It's the one thing that protects you through your whole career so it means a hell of a lot and when I was working on this helmet I was thinking about what it went through.”

The Fire Fighters Charity, which offers support and rehabilitation for firefighters and their families, says it is "incredibly excited" about the exhibition.

The "Ashes to Art 2024" exhibition runs at Worthing Town Hall between 16 and 19 April .

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