City Hospice’s Forever Flowers display has opened to the public.
The Forever Flowers campaign offers people the chance to celebrate and remember the lives of loved ones including family, friends and colleagues with unique and lasting tributes and has returned to Cardiff Castle for a sixth consecutive year. This year’s flower is the pink poppy, symbolising love, compassion, peace and admiration.
Over a thousand crafted metal pink poppies feature in the striking display which runs until Sunday 16 August.
Lining the route to the display in the castle’s grounds is artwork reflecting themes of remembrance, care and community by local school pupils as part of the garden of memories project. This year’s project features contributions from Birchgrove Primary School, Bryn Celyn Primary School, Busy Bees Nursery Llandaff, Howell’s School, Roath Park Primary School and St Joseph’s RC Primary School.
The pink poppies and garden of memories artwork provided the backdrop for Forever Flowers’ official opening on Thursday evening (6 August), with supporters and the local community coming together for the charity’s Celebration of Life event at the DEPOT stage.
The moving event included performances by the Rock Choir and harpist Rhiannon Dutt-Yeung, and contributions from Lord Mayor Michael Michael, ambassador Gareth Rhys-Davies, City Hospice counsellor Ishah Speers, and Rhodri Beynon and Ben Lidgeys whose families have been supported by the charity.
Rhodri Beynon said: “It was an honour to deliver a reading at the Celebration of Life event. Through the care they provided for my dad, and the wider support for us, I know the positive impact City Hospice can have on families.
“We began supporting Forever Flowers while Dad was being looked after by City Hospice and have chosen to dedicate a pink poppy this year in his memory. It made us smile to see our poppy with so many others. Seeing the flowers at the display and everyone uniting for the event shows just how many people City Hospice help.”
Dr Liz Booyse, Chief Executive of City Hospice, said: “Forever Flowers is all about celebrating the lives of our cherished loved ones together, so opening the display last night with our Celebration of Life event was an incredibly special moment for us and the perfect tribute to those represented by each pink poppy.
“We look forward to welcoming visitors to the castle, from Cardiff and beyond, to experience this wonderful display over the coming week.”
Forever Flowers supports the work of City Hospice, the only provider of home-based specialist palliative care in Cardiff. The charity provides care and a wide range of services including welfare advice and complementary therapies to patients with terminal or life limiting illnesses, as well as bereavement support and counselling for the families of its patients.
Forever Flowers is sponsored by Green Willow Funerals and supported by Dragon Signs, Eversheds Sutherland, McLays, Premier Forest Group, Quantum Advisory, and Wales & West Housing Association.
