City Hospice, Cardiff’s local hospice, is working with Cardiff Council to plant and maintain flower beds in popular parks across the capital.
The Celebration of Life flower beds project extends the legacy of Forever Flowers, the charity’s award-winning ‘in memory’ campaign which invites supporters to purchase limited edition flowers to remember cherished family members, friends, colleagues and loved ones.
The flower beds, which will bloom throughout spring and summer, aim to support communities across Cardiff with their grief and wellbeing as dedicated natural spaces for remembrance.
The project is being supported by local businesses and nearby secondary schools.
Following the opening of the first flower bed at Roath Park, the charity planted a second flower bed in the heart of Victoria Park, Canton.
Wales 247 has kindly provided signage for the flower bed. Representatives from the local independent news platform joined City Hospice ambassador Ellis Jenkins and students from Fitzalan High School, who will help maintain the flower bed throughout the year, to officially open the flower bed.
Rhys Gregory, Editor of Wales 247, said: “We have been longstanding supporters of City Hospice and are proud to support the work that they do in caring for patients and their families.
“We are big believers in the benefits that the outdoors can have on people’s mental health, so when we heard that the hospice was looking to create these special places in the community, we knew this was something that we wanted to get involved in.
“Victoria Park holds a special place for us as a family as my grandfather, Gerald Evans, was Cardiff Council’s superintendent for the parks in the city, including this one. We are proud to volunteer and roll up our sleeves to help with the planting, just as he would have done all those years ago.”
Carol Taylor, Outdoor Learning Coordinator at Fitzalan High School, said: “Fitzalan High School are delighted to be working with City Hospice on such a special project. The students involved in helping to maintain the flower beds are recent arrivals to the UK so, for them, being involved in a community is so helpful for their integration and sense of belonging in Cardiff. We are so grateful to be given this opportunity and we look forward to watching this project grow.”
Councillor Jennifer Burke, Cabinet Member for Culture, Leisure and Parks at Cardiff Council, said: “Spending time outdoors in parks and green spaces is proven to improve wellbeing. When the first flowers burst into life in the spring, the new Celebration of Life flower beds will provide park visitors who have lost a loved one with a moment of reflection, as well as being beautiful additions to our award-winning parks.”
Liz Booyse, Chief Executive of City Hospice, said: “We are excited to be working with Cardiff Council, local businesses and schools on our flower beds project. Inspired by our Forever Flowers campaign, communities will now be able to visit our flower beds in parks across the city all year round and remember loved ones.”
City Hospice is the only provider of home-based specialist palliative care in the capital. The charity provides care and compassion to patients with terminal or life limiting illnesses, as well as counselling and support services for their families.
