THE Leap of Faith sculpture that originally took pride of place on the site of the now Colin Town Square and Transport Hub has been relocated to the entrance of the new park on the opposite side of the Stewartstown Road.
 
The sculpture by Gordon Muir and The Paul Hogarth Company, which was first unveiled in 2010, depicts the figures of 21 local school children as they leap forward together, symbolic of the many journeys the individuals and communities of the Colin area make in their lives.
 
When it was first unveiled, it also featured the names of the children depicted in the sculpture carved into steppingstones which ran under it. These stones will once again go on display to the rear of the sculpture when the park is set to open in July.

Welcoming the return of the sculpture, Annie Armstrong from the Colin Neighbourhood Partnership, said: “The Leap of Faith has become a real landmark for the area. If you go into Danske Bank in the Kennedy Centre, they have an image of it on display permanently. 
 
“The sculpture came about back in 2009 and 2010 when we were involved in a major environmental project. We wanted the art to be reflected of the young population and the number of young people living within the community. 
 
“We also wanted it to be about the transition from adolescence into adulthood and that is how the name came about as that transition is a leap of faith. 
 
“When you are an adolescent you don’t really know what is in front of you and it was also to get them to start thinking about that and to raise their aspirations.
 
“The sculpture was also about people in the community understanding that this transition is a difficult time for young people and it is also reflective of the fact that Colin is a community in transition, taking that leap of faith together.”
 
The Leap of Faith formed part of the first phase of the £3million Colin Gateway Environmental Project that was delivered in 2010 by Colin Neighbourhood Partnership, Lisburn City Council and the then Department for Social Development.