Published on: 14th June 2021
In a grand finale befitting a much-loved and special character, Bunksy posted their 100th and final painting on social media this Monday morning: a self-portrait revealing themselves as Lynn Burton, the home treatment team manager at Birch Hill Hospital in Rochdale.
Bunksy’s final portrait brings the curtain down on an incredibly heart-warming story from the past year, in which she painted 99 of Pennine Care’s heroes to acknowledge the outstanding work of our staff during the pandemic and beyond.
Confirming the news on Bunksy’s Facebook page, Lynn wrote: “After a whole year of painting our Pennine Care heroes and reading so many lovely comments from colleagues, friends and followers, I’ve been persuaded to make the 100th and final portrait my own.
“I'd like to wholeheartedly thank you all for supporting Bunksy, and especially thank my 99 heroes. You're all brilliant and I'm super proud to have you as my colleagues!”
Lynn, who initially started Bunksy as a way to unwind between shifts during the height of the pandemic, said she never expected Bunksy would gain so much interest, and the outpouring of love for each of her muses left her feeling really emotional.
“It was so great to see families sharing the portraits of their loved ones, rightly with a sense of pride in them being an NHS hero. Because of this, I have developed a real fondness of my ‘heroes’, despite never having met the vast majority of them.”
A year of hiding from the spotlight did start to catch up with Lynn over the last few months, with some crafty colleagues figuring out she was the woman behind the mask.
“Some colleagues did uncover my identity and confronted me armed with irrefutable evidence, but very kindly kept my secret. Other colleagues asked me directly whether I was Bunksy and I’m afraid I outright lied!”
Now Bunksy’s story has to come to an end, Lynn is very reflective about the memories she hopes her alter ego leaves behind.
“I would like Bunksy to be remembered as a small celebration of the phenomenal talent within our Trust and how we all pulled together in the face of a global pandemic.
“I was able to capture just 99 NHS heroes but I know there are thousands more within our organisation.”
Lynn’s fantastic artwork has also featured at other key points in the last 12 months, including during our staff Great Big Thank You Week, Black History Month and Mental Health Awareness Week.
You can see a full gallery of Bunksy’s paintings on her Facebook page. You can also see the collection of Bunksy’s 99 Pennine Care Heroes.
