Celebration garden set to blossom this summer

More than 1000 snowdrops have been installed in Worcester to create a special celebration garden.

The unique snowdrops - reminiscent of the poppies planted in the grounds of the Tower of London – are part of a St Richard’s Hospice campaign encouraging people to celebrate someone or something special with a snowdrop.

The handcrafted flowers have been installed around the base of St Andrew’s Spire, under the watchful eye of Snowdrop, one of the 30 8ft giraffe sculptures currently in position in the city as part of the Worcester Stands Tall initiative.

The snowdrops – which were installed on Saturday 11 August by a team of volunteers, staff and garden sponsors Western Power Distribution – will be on display until Monday 27 August as part of the Worcester Festival.

This is the second time that the hospice has created a celebration garden; the first one, in 2016, saw the spire’s lawn covered in forget-me-nots.

At the end of the campaign, those who have secured a snowdrop – the symbol of St Richard’s – will be able to take them home as a keepsake or a gift.

The snowdrops have all been individually made by The British Iron Works in Oswestry.

Contributions to help create this installation will help fund St Richard’s care of patients, their loved ones and the bereaved in Worcestershire.

Event organiser Charlie Homer said, “Planting the snowdrop garden was a really joyful and poignant occasion.  Not only is it a unique focal point for celebration and reflection, each snowdrop will bring great comfort to those who adopt one.  There are still snowdrops available so we would encourage people to secure one as soon as possible.”

Michael Wigmore, Distribution Manager at sponsors Western Power Distribution said : “We’re delighted to lend our support to help make this unique and special project happen.  We have been honoured to support St Richard’s Hospice for a number of years and as a member of the local community we realise how important the hospice is to so many in the area and beyond.  We were lucky enough to have a team of volunteers on the day who helped to create the celebration garden and believe that it is going to look spectacular and be a real focal point in Worcester.”

Donors will be invited to pick a flower from the garden on Bank Holiday Monday 27 August, collect from the hospice or via post after the installation is dismantled.

There are still a number of snowdrops available.  To secure one with a donation please visit www.strichards.org.uk/celebration-garden or call the Fundraising Team on 01905 763963.

St Richard’s Hospice provides free specialist palliative and end of life care for patients living with life-limiting illnesses and supports their loved ones. Each year the hospice team supports more than 3,300 patients, family members and bereaved people in Worcestershire.

The hospice strives to provide the best medical, practical, emotional and social support they can to help people live life to the fullest, as independently as they can, for as long as they can. They care for people with a range of illnesses including heart failure, Parkinson’s, and motor neurone disease as well as cancer. 

St Richard’s is an independent charity and relies on donations for three quarters of its annual £8.8m income with the remainder from the NHS.

St Richard’s has launched the Build 2020 Appeal which aims to raise the final £1.4m needed to build a bigger hospice, enabling more patients and families to be cared for in Worcestershire.

The total cost for expanding and redeveloping the existing building in Wildwood Drive, Worcester, is £5.3m.

For more information about St Richard’s Hospice visit  www.strichards.org.uk