Salvage Hunters star Nick Elphick to sculpt army goat Shenkin

A statue of Shenkin the military goat is being made by Salvage Hunters star Nick Elphick.

A total of £95,000 is being raised for the bronze, believed to be the first of its kind in Wales, to be put at Wrexham's Hightown Barracks.

The current Shenkin, often seen at Wales rugby internationals in Cardiff, will not be posing for the work. A model deer is being used instead.

The piece is due to be unveiled on 1 March 2023.

The sculpture will also will feature a goat major modelled on 15-year-old army cadet Matteo. He will be scanned by Mr Elphick using computer-generated imagery technology.

The artist, from Llandudno, Conwy county, said he needed to get into the mindset of a goat to create this piece.

"I'm learning a great deal already," he said.

"They even say these goats show off and look really proud when they're in the moment, so I need to get into the mentality of both of them, the soldier and the goat."

He will also photograph the Kashmiri goats used by the Royal Welsh. They have roamed wild on Llandudno's Great Orme since the late 19th Century.

The sculpture is being created in memory of the Royal Welch Fusiliers regiment.

That was amalgamated with the Royal Regiment of Wales in 2006 to become The Royal Welsh.

It will be placed outside Hightown Barracks because of its historic links to the Royal Welch Fusiliers.

They were based there from 1881. A reserve company of the Royal Welsh is stationed there now.

Wrexham's Offa Community Council is hoping to raise £95,000 towards the project.

So far £70,000 has been raised.

Businesses and Wrexham council are working with the army on the scheme.

Wrexham councillor Graham Rogers, who came up with the idea of getting a statue made, said he believed it was the first time Shenkin would be cast in bronze.

Offa council clerk Karen Benfield said Mr Rogers approached the community council and the idea took off in March 2020.

"That's when we first started fundraising and getting the committee together," she said.

Matteo, in the cadets' Corps of Drums, will be wearing the Goat Major's uniform in the sculpture.

"It will feel great if I see the statue when it's finished and be able to say I played a part in that," he said.

Mark Beckett, of Shropshire scanning specialists Europac 3D said the scanner would create a 3D image of whatever it was scanning.

"We use it to scan actors and actresses for CGI animation or, as in this case, for a 3D printing afterwards," he said.

The Army has been approached for comment.