To bring a little sunshine and joy back to the borough, Rotherham Hospice is encouraging residents to buy and plant sunflowers wherever and whenever they can.
An inspirational campaign which aims to rally the region whilst raising much needed money to support the charity, through working together, The Sunflower Appeal will show how the people of Rotherham can’t be kept down for long.
Branded packs of sunflower seeds, available with a donation of £5, will hopefully see The Hospice bridge the critical £600,000 funding gap, whilst bringing happiness to the region.
Available through their Wath, Town Centre, Herringthorpe and Dinnington charity shops, online at https://sunflowers.rotherhamhospice.org.uk/ and in supporting stores across the region, a host of brands and people have already given their backing to this much needed initiative.
Rotherham Hospice is also inviting local businesses and schools to get involved with Morrison Supermarkets Plc leading the way by hosting fundraising in local stores and helping spread the word.
“Morrisons are delighted to support Rotherham Hospice in the Sunflower Appeal. We love the positivity of the campaign and think that bringing a little sunshine, and a whole load of sunflowers, to Rotherham is a great way to show the resilience and hope there is in the local community, as well as supporting such a deserving local charity.”
April Clements, Morrisons Community Coach for the area "For those not able to physically plant sunflowers, a ‘virtual sunflower garden’ is also available at sunflowers.rotherhamhospice.org.uk An easy way for everyone to show they care, every pack of seeds purchased will see a sunflower and personal message or dedication added to the portal. Showcasing famous Rotherham landmarks within its design, donors will be able to search for their sunflower on the site, revisit it as often as they like and share it with others through social media."
One of the hardest hit regions by the pandemic, Rotherham was one of the first towns to enter lockdown and that has had a huge impact on charities, businesses and people across the region.
Sally Napper, CEO of Rotherham Hospice commented: “The pandemic has affected everyone. As a Hospice we have been doing everything we can to keep our services running. However, as a charity, the cancelling of events and the closure of our charity shops has had a significant impact on our ability to raise funds and this will continue throughout this year. As a result, we are £600,000 short of our fundraising targets.
“We felt that, as the UK started to come out of lockdown, we all need our spirits raising a little, which is why we have come up with the idea of filling Rotherham with Sunflowers! If there is one thing we know about the people of Rotherham, it’s that you can’t keep them down for long. We are hoping that our Sunflower appeal will brighten up this amazing community of ours - as well as raise funds for the Hospice in our 25th anniversary year.”
