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Behind the Retrospective – A closer look : our origin

In June, ACT unveiled its first ever exhibition – ACT: A Retrospective – charting the stories, people and impact behind the past eight years of the Trust.

Following the launch event hosted in the grounds of Kensington Palace in central London, the exhibition has been transformed into an interactive virtual tour – giving all our Ardonagh colleagues, partners and friends the opportunity to explore the full showcase – before a touring version travels around key sites across the Group worldwide.

We’re delving into the exhibition in more detail – starting with ACT’s humble beginnings.

The first act: go back to the start

Every story has a beginning. Our opening chapter connects to a moment of tragedy and everlasting change for a family and a community. In May 2017 a moment shook the UK – and the world. The Manchester Arena bombing led to the loss of 22 innocent people and thousands more impacted.

At this time, Ardonagh was yet to be launched, but the leadership team felt compelled to act. The decision was made to temporarily pause the creation of the business to establish a platform to respond to the tragedy and to give back into the future.

And so, ACT was born – a charity accessible to all Ardonagh people worldwide. To this day, this thread of giving back and positive legacy is at the core of our businesses and the hearts of our people.

And at the very beginning of all of this is one girl. Eilidh.

Eilidh, on the shores of her home, the Isle of Barra

Lasting legacy

It felt fitting that on the entrance to ACT: A Retrospective, we reflect on Eilidh and the Trust’s origins.

A passionate pipe player, a member of a small island community, and a 14-year-old girl – Eilidh came from the Isle of Barra in Scotland and was the niece of an Ardonagh colleague, Margaret.

Walking into Kensington Palace Orangery and seeing the Maquette in Eilidh’s memory stopped me in my tracks. It was emotional, beautiful, and a powerful reminder of why ACT exists. The First Act section captured Eilidh’s spirit so tenderly—it felt like she was right there with us. Eight years have passed, but this legacy continues to grow in the most inspiring ways, as witnessed in the rest of the exhibition. The evening was filled with warmth, pride, and hope, and I left feeling deeply moved by how far ACT has come and the lives it continues to touch.
Margaret McNeil, former Ardonagh colleague and Eilidh’s aunt

Eilidh’s life was lost at the Manchester Arena bombing, but her memory remains bright.

Fitting to this origin is that our very first act as a Trust was to commit funding to Eilidh’s school – Castlebay Community & Eoligarry Primary School. A host of musical instruments were purchased including keyboards, microphones, bagpipe and chanter equipment and more.

Later, in 2020, ACT further supported the school’s pipe band, helping their activities continue at a time when the pandemic was impacting schools and young people around the world – including Barra.

At the centre of ACT’s ongoing support has been the creation of the statue to remember and celebrate Eilidh. Over the past few years, we’ve worked closely with the Eilidh MacLeod Memorial Trust established in her name to create a sculpture to honour both her life and her love of music. This final statue will be placed on Barra, overlooking Vatersay Bay in the direction of Manchester.

Passing down the pipes, 2019 Jenna Gearing Bronze

This maquette is a scaled version of the final statue, which will look out from the shores of the Isle of Barra. It is one of 15 auctioned at ACT's first fundraising gala in 2018 – which led to over £270,000 raised to kickstart the ACT we know today.

See highlights from the 2018 event, which celebrated Eilidh’s life and initiated ACT by watching the video below. 

The creative process behind the statue

On entering the Retrospective, the maquette statue stands in full view, surrounded by stand-out images depicting Eilidh, her home on the island of Barra and the statue’s creation.

Guests are met by the statue on entry to the Retrospective exhibition
I felt incredibly privileged when ACT approached me for this project. One of the most enjoyable for me aspects of the sculpting process is getting to understand the person that inspired the sculpture, their story. My visits to Barra, to meet the family, the community, and understanding the culture that shaped Eilidh was an amazing and invaluable experience. Everyone got involved in creating the feel of the piece.
Jenna Gearing, artist and sculptor

We’ve added to the photograph collection, with additional images illustrating the statue’s creation by Jenna and scenery from the island of Barra – take a look through the gallery below. 

View the virtual Retrospective in full

Take a look at the ACT: A Retrospective exhibition yourself by exploring our fully virtual version. Accessible online to walk through the showcase and interact with all the exhibits.

Explore the virtual exhibition

Look back at the Retrospective launch event

Gain an insight into the Retrospective’s launch by watching our highlights video. Attended by friends and beneficiaries of ACT, it was a night to remember!

Global tour ahead

In 2026, ACT: A Retrospective will set off on its journey of key locations and events across The Ardonagh Group. Over the following the 12 months, this capsule version of the exhibition aims to reach as many colleagues and friends of the Group as possible!

In the meantime, learn more about ACT and all its funding programmes which can be harnessed by Ardonagh colleagues by exploring our website or following us @ardonaghCT.