1 June 2017

City of Culture Major Partners, Smith & Nephew announce sponsorship of Dr Alec Gill’s photo exhibition “The Hessle Roaders”

Smith & Nephew (LSE:SN, NYSE:SNN), the global medical technology business, is proud to announce it is sponsoring “The Hessle Roaders: Hull’s Fishing Community”, a major photographic exhibition by Dr Alec Gill MBE and Paul Berriff OBE as part of Hull 2017’s cultural calendar.

Taking place during Hull 2017’s Season Two programme, Roots & Routes, and on display at Hull History Centre throughout June, the exhibition features one hundred photographs selected from over 6,600 striking images, documenting a close-knit community during a time of dramatic social change.

“We are proud to sponsor an exhibition featuring such engaging images of the Hessle Road community. We have been based at 101 Hessle Road since 1907, and many of our past and present workforce live in this area. It ties our past to our strong commitment to investment in the future of this site.” commented Tanya Childs, Corporate Brand Director, Smith & Nephew.

Founded in Hull over 160 years ago by Thomas James Smith, Smith & Nephew has grown from a Whitefriargate pharmacy to a global supplier of advanced medical devices with nearly 16,000 employees. During the First World War, it specialised in the supply of field dressings. Now, it manufactures pioneering products used by healthcare professionals in more than 100 countries.

Since developing an interest in the Hessle Road community as a photographer in the early-1970s, Dr Alec Gill has written six books, produced six videos and in 2009 he was awarded an MBE for his work documenting Hull’s fishing heritage. Dr Gill, alongside BAFTA award-winning film-maker and fine art photographer Paul Berriff OBE, plan to take this exhibition worldwide after its stay at the Hull History Centre throughout June and St.John’s Newington Church during September.

“Alec’s photography is some of the finest ‘street life’ imagery I’ve seen during my 50 years behind the camera. This exhibition is something the public must come and see as it captures life as it used to be” says Paul, who himself has won international awards for his photography.

“After four decades of self-funding my photographic study of the Hessle Roaders, it is exciting to receive sponsorship – especially from such a community-based firm with strong local and global links” said Alec Gill.  

“It is also a profound privilege to work in harmony with Paul Berriff, who is producing and curating my exhibition, which we plan to show at top galleries around the world”.

The opening of “The Hessle Roaders: Hull’s Fishing Community” will also celebrate the opening of Smith & Nephew’s new, £8 million world-class Research & Development centre. As part of a £50 million investment in the Hull site, the R&D centre will be one of the most capable and well-equipped centres in Europe for Medical Device R&D specialising in Toxicology, Chemistry and Microbiology among other specialist fields.

This investment is further reinforcement of the Company’s commitment to the city and is linked to its major partnership with Hull 2017 UK City of Culture.

Enquiries

Media

 

Tanya Childs, Corporate Brand Director

Smith & Nephew

+44 (0)1482 673854

 

About Smith & Nephew

Smith & Nephew is a global medical technology business dedicated to helping healthcare professionals improve people's lives. With leadership positions in Orthopaedic ReconstructionAdvanced Wound ManagementSports Medicine and Trauma & Extremities, Smith & Nephew has more than 15,000 employees and a presence in more than 100 countries. Annual sales in 2016 were almost $4.7 billion. Smith & Nephew is a member of the FTSE100 (LSE:SN, NYSE:SNN).

For more information about Smith & Nephew, please visit our website www.smith-nephew.comfollow @SmithNephewplc on Twitter or visit SmithNephewplc on Facebook.com.

Forward-looking Statements

This document may contain forward-looking statements that may or may not prove accurate. For example, statements regarding expected revenue growth and trading margins, market trends and our product pipeline are forward-looking statements. Phrases such as "aim", "plan", "intend", "anticipate", "well-placed", "believe", "estimate", "expect", "target", "consider" and similar expressions are generally intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from what is expressed or implied by the statements. For Smith & Nephew, these factors include: economic and financial conditions in the markets we serve, especially those affecting health care providers, payers and customers; price levels for established and innovative medical devices; developments in medical technology; regulatory approvals, reimbursement decisions or other government actions; product defects or recalls or other problems with quality management systems or failure to comply with related regulations; litigation relating to patent or other claims; legal compliance risks and related investigative, remedial or enforcement actions; disruption to our supply chain or operations or those of our suppliers; competition for qualified personnel; strategic actions, including acquisitions and dispositions, our success in performing due diligence, valuing and integrating acquired businesses; disruption that may result from transactions or other changes we make in our business plans or organisation to adapt to market developments; and numerous other matters that affect us or our markets, including those of a political, economic, business, competitive or reputational nature. Please refer to the documents that Smith & Nephew has filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission under the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including Smith & Nephew's most recent annual report on Form 20-F, for a discussion of certain of these factors. Any forward-looking statement is based on information available to Smith & Nephew as of the date of the statement. All written or oral forward-looking statements attributable to Smith & Nephew are qualified by this caution. Smith & Nephew does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement to reflect any change in circumstances or in Smith & Nephew's expectations.

◊ Trademark of Smith & Nephew.  Certain marks registered US Patent and Trademark Office.

Title

Text