A stunning installation of ceramic forget-me-not flowers will go on display in Colchester this summer.
The St Helena Hospice project will give people the chance to dedicate a flower to a lost loved one in return for a donation to the charity.
The exhibition will be created at Castle Park by the same team that brought the poppies to the Tower of London.
Helen Scatola, individual giving fundraiser at St Helena Hospice, said: “As well as being a lovely way to remember someone, it will also make for a fabulous art display which we hope will bring many visitors to the castle.
“The flowers are being placed in the sensory garden, which is a beautiful setting; somewhere people can come for some time out, to reflect and reminisce.”
The forget-me-nots will be displayed from July 6-8, with boards of remembrance available for visitors to leave their own messages.
There will also be an informal service on July 8 held next to the garden featuring music for those who wish to celebrate the lives of their loved ones.
The forget-me-nots will then be available for collection by those who have donated for them.
Chris Stokes and his family have secured a ceramic forget-me-not in tribute to his father who died in St Helena Hospice’s Inpatient Unit.
Mr Stokes said: “We have wonderful memories as a family of sitting and laughing with dad in the hospice garden, so when the hospice told me about their forget-me-not project, it seemed like a fitting tribute.
“We’re really looking forward to keeping our flower in our garden after the display and we’ll think of dad every time we look at it.”
Tim Young, deputy leader of Colchester Borough Council, has shown support for the project.
He said: “St Helena Hospice is a wonderful organisation, playing such a vital part within the community of Colchester and further afield.
“I am thrilled that we have been able to work with them to make the forget-me-nots campaign a success.”
St Helena Hospice supports people with an incurable illness and their families living across north Essex.
To donate for a forget-me-not flower call St Helena Hospice’s fundraising team on 01206 931468 or visit www.sthelenahospice.org.uk/forgetmenot.
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