#Islastones Story

Isla Tansey was a seven year old from Hinckley who lived with her Mum Katherine, Dad Simon and brother Harrison.
Isla was diagnosed with Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG) in January 2018 and was given no treatment options.
Isla started painting and hiding stones for people to find and as her mobility decreased she enjoyed seeing pictures of people and families creating, finding and hiding painted stones on social media which led to the creation of the #islastones movement.

The #islastones campaign spread across the globe and reached Antarctica and America. The movement helped raise awareness of DIPG and other childhood cancers and created a great outdoor activity.

Isla sadly passed away in July 2018 and the community’s response was to create a tribute to Isla at the Argents Mead bandstand featuring hundreds of painted stones, floral tributes and more.

There was a Memorial service held in Argents Mead with special guest Alfie the therapy horse who regularly visited Isla in his unicorn outfit.

After the Memorial service the tribute moved to Atkins Gallery and was remade into an art exhibition. The exhibition project was led by Lisa Crankshaw and supported by other #islastones volunteers. Visitors to the Gallery could admire the artworks on individual stones and view the first stone that Isla painted.

#islastone supporter Lisa Crankshaw said: “After painting stones with my daughter, who is six years old, and talking to people about why we are doing it, I realised that there are still many people who don’t access social media. Also, some of the artwork is much better when you can see it up close, not via a photograph. I thought that the Atkins Gallery would be an ideal central place for the stones to be gathered, just for a short time, here in the town where it all began and the place that was home to Isla and is still home to her family.
“Isla was such an inspiration to many people, young and old. These stones bring joy to many, also making them aware of childhood cancer, especially DIPG, which is the form Isla had”.
“Thank you to the team at the Atkins Building for supporting this event.”

On 12 August 2018 BBC Radio Leicester Clueless, a treasure hunt programme using local stories and landmarks also completed the #Islastones story around Hinckley

The “treasure” was seeing the first stone Isla painted

On the last day of the exhibition Friday 17 August a “takeaway” party was held for people to come to Atkins Gallery to collect the exhibition stones and hide them to continue spreading the #Islastones message

BCC Radio Leicester also broadcast live from Atkins Gallery with presenter Ben Jackson on the last day of the exhibition

Isla received a permanent memorial donated by Aggregate Industries of Bardon Hill

The chosen memorial stone weighed 6.2 tonne which is the equivalent in weight of an African elephant

Isla’s mum, Katherine, dad Simon and brother Harrison have unveiled a memorial plaque on a newly installed stone, watched by family, friends and well-wishers.

The stone was selected as a fitting memorial to the brave young campaigner by Isla’s family and installed in Argents Mead, a place Isla and her family loved to visit, play and enjoy. Argents Mead’s became the focal point for the community to pay their respects to Isla when she died last summer, with hundreds of people paying tribute to Isla by laying flowers and stones at the bandstand.

A year on from Isla's passing the Celebration of Smiles event was organised by Isla's family and the #islastones volunteers

At the event a Guinness World Record was set for the most painted stones in one location.

The stones had to be base coated, decorated with any picture and signed #islastones to qualify for record attempt.

A total of 8,542 stones were collected and Isla's parents announced at the Hinckley Christmas Light switch on in November 2019 that the Guinness World Record had been achieved!