Elizabeth Andrews OBE (1882-1960) statue

The statue of Elizabeth Andrews OBE (1882–1960) honors one of the most influential Welsh political activists of the early twentieth century. A suffragist, socialist and champion of working-class women, Andrews dedicated her life to improving the lives of women, children and mining families across Wales. Born into a mining family and forced to leave school at an early age, she became the first Labour Party Women's Organiser for Wales and played a pivotal role in campaigns for public health, childcare, education, pithead baths for miners and the fostering of children during the 1926 miners lockout.

Unveiled on June 25, 2026, at the Rhondda Heritage Park Museum, it is the fifth and final monument in the Monumental Welsh Women campaign.

This is my first completed public statue commission and I feel incredibly honoured to have been entrusted with creating a lasting legacy of Elizabeth Andrews.

​When I first began researching Elizabeth Andrews, I quickly realised that this sculpture couldn’t simply be a portrait. I wanted it to tell a story.
​It was important to me not only to represent Elizabeth as the strong and determined woman that she was, but also to reflect some of the achievements that transformed the lives of mining families. Her tireless campaign for compulsory pithead baths was about so much more than freeing the home of coal dirt and physical hardship of the women. It was about dignity, health and safety snd respect for mining working families. her standing with authority upon the upturned tin bath represents this fight.
 Equally moving was learning about her efforts to help children during the 1926 miners’ lockout, arranging for many to be fostered so they could be cared for while their families endured unimaginable hardship.

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Those stories became central to the sculpture.

The child sitting on the tin bath is named after Rhona, who was a real child fostered during the 1926 miners lockout and an aunt to Carolyn Hitt, one of the original Welsh Monumental Women members. I love that this brings a real child’s story into the sculpture, connecting history with lived experience and reminding us that Elizabeth’s work changed individual lives, not just history books.

Another wonderful aspect of this project was being able to involve the local Hirwaun sewing group ‘Dare to Stitch’ Together they stitched the letters of Elizabeth’s motto, “Educate, Agitate, Organise,” in English and Welsh, which are embedded in bronze each end of the upturned tin bath. I would like to offer my sincere thanks to everyone in the sewing group for contributing their time, skill and care. Their work has become a permanent part of the sculpture and, I hope, a lasting message of encouragement to future generations of women in Wales. during my research, I discovered that in 1926 Hirwaun sewing group were asked by Elizabeth to make new clothes for the children being fostered to ensure pity was not bestowed upon them. how wonderful that the sewing group has been called upon again.

The making of the statue

Special thanks to Eddie, Sue, Roger, Dave and Chloe at Sculpture Services for going above and beyond in casting this statue. They listened to me and gave me exactly what I wanted. The statue arrived at its destination with precision and in perfect condition