Let’s talk about the elephant in the room!
Our colleagues based at the Malvern site cannot fail to have noticed a rather beautiful, bright addition to their office over the past couple of weeks – on four legs rather than the usual two (not to mention a very prominent and rather long nose)! So, what’s going on, and who is our special UK guest?
One final clue: he or she is definitely BIG, rather than small….
Over the summer, the city of Worcester played host to a Wild in Art event, with 66 elephant sculptures dotted throughout streets and open spaces, forming a free art trail for the community to follow and enjoy. When the event concluded in early September, the elephants were donated to St. Richard’s Hospice1, which auctioned off each sculpture to raise vital funds for the care and support the organization provides for local families.
Malvern Panalytical has long been a supporter of the invaluable work done by the hospice, so in line with our Strategy, Values and Purpose ‘SVP’ and ‘Connecting Global Values’ initiatives, we made our donation for a sculpture, and eagerly looked forward to providing a new home for such a beautifully-decorated and symbolic work of art.
We were absolutely thrilled to unveil our very own Malvern Panalytical elephant on Tuesday, 9th November! Not only will our elephant provide a cheery and colorful welcome when we arrive on-site every day, but it will also be a constant reminder of how we can all give back a little to the fabulous community that surrounds us.
So, why did we choose this particular elephant? Well, because we could see a little of ourselves in it – no jokes about big noses, please! The decoration of our elephant is based on local Worcester Porcelain plate designs – each plate is unique but holds equal value: just like our Malvern Panalytical global team! There’s also a saying about ‘keeping all our plates spinning’, which we’re sure will resonate with our colleagues worldwide. We can all identify with the feeling of having a million things to do at the same time, and desperately trying not to let any of those plates tumble to the ground!
And that brings us neatly onto another idiom which many of us will recognize: ‘having a lot on our plate’. Hopefully, our very own Malvern Panalytical elephant will remind us daily that although things can be very busy and occasionally hectic, it’s important to keep a balance between our personal and professional lives, and to make sure we keep enjoying what we do, both during and after work! There’s another linked story, too, around ‘how to eat an elephant’, which gives great guidance on how not to let big tasks overwhelm you, but in the health and longevity interests of our own elephant, perhaps we’ll save that one for another time!
Finally, if you’re not a native English speaker, you may be wondering about the title of this piece, referencing ‘the elephant in the room’. This is a phrase used frequently by mental health advocates and organizations, aiming to highlight the importance of talking about our mental and emotional health in the same way we feel comfortable discussing our physical wellbeing or struggles.
- St Richard’s Hospice cares for adults with a serious progressive illness, improving their quality of life from diagnosis, during treatment and to their last days. They also support the families affected.