Life-size Lego suffragette statue goes on display in Weston-super-Mare

A life-size statue of a suffragette made entirely out of Lego bricks is due to go on display in Weston-super-Mare.

Called Hope, the 1.7 metre structure took three people 171 hours to build and is made from 32,327 pieces of Lego.

It is part of a number of initiatives commemorating the 1928 Representation of the People (Equal Franchise) Act, which gave everyone equal voting rights.

Commissioned by the UK Parliament in 2018, Hope first went on display in the House of Commons but is due to stand tall in Weston Library from today (22 August) until Monday 12 September.

Visitors to the library in Weston-super-Mare will be able to learn about the area's local suffragette movement, which campaigned for women to be given the right to vote.

The exhibition includes records from a display usually held in the North Somerset Local Studies Library.

Those visiting Hope are also being encouraged to take a selfie with the statue and use the official campaign hashtag #StandWithHope, and tag North Somerset Libraries in the photo.

Lego activities for families are also being run by North Somerset Council at the library on Saturday 27 August and Saturday 3 September between 10am and 2pm.

Councillor Mike Solomon, North Somerset Council's executive member for neighbourhoods and community services, said: “It’s fantastic that Weston Library was successful in bidding to host Hope as part of this national initiative.

“It will give people of all ages the opportunity to discover more about the Right to Vote and the history of our county’s democracy.

"I encourage people to pop into the library to learn more about this important topic and have some fun at the same time! It’s a brilliant free activity for families during the school summer holidays."