More than 6,000 names lovingly etched into Heart of Steel

The names were laser etched on to the Heart of Steel at Meadowhall on Friday, joining the thousands that already adorn the 136 curved panels of the 2.4-metre steel feature created by artist Steve Mehdi.  

Installed at the shopping centre earlier this year, the Heart of Steel has already raised over £100,000 in donations to the British Heart Foundation.

The long-term goal for the “Heart” is to sit within The Steel Man, the towering landscape which will overlook the Don Valley from a hillside in Kimberworth.

Once filled with up to 150,000 names, the 1,138kg super-alloy heart will be included inside the 32-metre Steel Man. 

Darren Pearce, centre director for Meadowhall, said: “From the moment it arrived here at Meadowhall, the Heart of Steel has received fantastic feedback from our customers, some of whom have travelled many miles to see the names of those they love brought to life.

“Having operated from the heart of Sheffield for almost 30 years, we’re incredibly proud to play our part in the making of this piece of Yorkshire history along with the many other great local businesses that have supported the project. 

“It truly is an honour to host it here in our mall.”

Nicola Jones, fundraising manager at the British Heart Foundation, said: “We've been overwhelmed by the public’s response to the heart and it's fantastic that in just three months we’ve raised £107,000 to help fund lifesaving research. 

“Heart and circulatory disease devastates the lives of millions of families in Yorkshire and all over the UK. 

“That’s why we're proud that the Heart of Steel project has galvanised people throughout the community to work together to help us beat heartbreak forever. 

“We think it’s fantastic that people can be a part of history by engraving their name, or the name of a loved one, on the Heart of Steel, whilst also helping to fund our vital research into conditions including coronary heart disease, stroke, vascular dementia and diabetes.”