14 Feature / The Great Daffodil Appeal


Marie Curie People


The Great Daffodil Appeal:


bigger, brighter and ready to bloom


Iconic daffodil pins will be popping up on coats and jackets across the UK with the launch of the Great Daffodil Appeal in March. This year’s campaign includes even more ways to make your daffodil count.


veryone should have the amazing care Mum got at the end of her life,” says Sian Higson, who this year will be collecting for the Great


Daffodil Appeal with her sister Sarah in their hometown of Cardiff. “That’s why we volunteer – Mum would want us to give something back.” Sian and Sarah’s mum, Shirley, spent


her final weeks at the Marie Curie Hospice, Cardiff and the Vale in 2016,


ON AIR: Marie Curie Nurse Paula Grufferty (left) features in a new TV advert, while Alison Steadman provides the voiceover


after being diagnosed with terminal stomach cancer. Since then, moved by the dedicated care Shirley received, the sisters have vowed to do what they can to make sure more families get that same support. This year, they’ll join thousands of


volunteers across the UK taking to their communities to encourage more people to donate and wear a daffodil. “People like Sian and Sarah are at the heart of the Great Daffodil Appeal,”


says Jackie Lucas, Head of Great Daffodil Appeal Campaign Management. “Their story shows how important it is that people go out and collect this March, because the money you can raise in just two hours will make such a difference for people who desperately need support.”


Real people, real care This year’s Great Daffodil Appeal marketing will focus on the stories behind the daffodils, from the families who’ve been helped to the nurses who are there at the toughest times. For the first time, the campaign will also feature people who are currently living with a terminal illness. “We wanted to show how urgent it is


that everyone gets the care they deserve, to make the most of the time they have left,” explains Jackie. “Terminal illness isn’t something that happens to ‘other people’; it’s happening right now, to our neighbours, our friends and relatives. And it’s only possible for Marie Curie to be there if more people come out and support us.”


As seen on screen To encourage more people to volunteer to collect for the Great Daffodil Appeal, a new TV advert will be aired. It features Marie Curie Nurse Paula Grufferty, who explains why every daffodil counts when it comes to caring for people at the end of their lives. Celebrity ambassador Alison Steadman, best known for her roles as


All photos: Ben Gold/Marie Curie


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