Nine hundred handcrafted forget-me-not sculptures will brightly bloom in the gardens of St Andrew’s Spire in Worcester this August. The moving display will be planted by St Richard’s Hospice to help fund the free care and support it provides to more than 3,000 people across Worcestershire each year.
People are being encouraged to celebrate someone special with one of the flowers in the display, which they can later take home as a keepsake or a gift. Each forget-me-not is uniquely commissioned by Ed Alvis, of Metal Art UK, at his workshop near Evesham.
The flowers will be installed on Friday, 14 August and will be on display until Monday, 31 August.
Sue Fletcher, from Droitwich, takes part in the charity campaign every year in memory of son, Paul, who spent his final four weeks on the hospice’s In-patient Unit aged just 34.
“Supporting Celebration Garden each year helps us cherish memories of a wonderful son and show our appreciation for the hospice’s care and compassion.
“The night he died, the ‘angels’ on duty made us up a bed and encouraged us to stay close. In the early hours Paul turned to my husband and then myself and peacefully took his last breath. In that moment the nurse said something so thoughtful it will stay with me always: ‘who he saw first in life, he also saw last.’
“Paul was as loved on that last day as he was when we brought him into the world. And for that reason St Richard’s will always be part of our family.”
St Richard’s Campaigns Fundraiser, Laura Clarke, said: “Our 2026 Celebration Garden will once again create a memorable focal point for celebration and reflection in the heart of Worcester.
“Associated with enduring love, forget-me-nots reflect how many of those touched by our care feel about their loved ones; they’re gone but never forgotten.
“We’re so grateful to everyone who will make one of these beautiful sculptures their own, helping us be there for people across Worcestershire when they need us most.”
Supporters will be invited to pick a flower from St Andrew’s Spire gardens at the end of the display, to collect from the hospice or receive via post after the installation is dismantled.
To secure a forget-me-not please visit https://www.strichards.org.uk/celebration-garden/ or call the Fundraising Team on 01905 763963.
St Richard’s Hospice is an independent charity offering free, expert care for adults with an illness that cannot be cured, and support for their loved ones and carers.
Each year the hospice team supports more than 3,000 patients, family members and bereaved people in Worcestershire.
It will cost in the region of £12m to run the hospice this year, which includes patient care and all the necessary support services.
St Richard’s relies on voluntary support, including from donations, gifts in Wills, retail and events for the majority of its income with the remainder funded by the NHS.
For more information about St Richard’s Hospice visit www.strichards.org.uk
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Who does St Richard’s Hospice care for?
St Richard’s cares for people with an illness that cannot be cured, who have complex needs which cannot be met by other services. These include cancer, and neurological, respiratory, cardiac and renal conditions.
All its services are available to people registered with a South Worcestershire GP. The St Richard’s In-patient Unit cares for people across Worcestershire.
St Richard’s cares for people by:
- Supporting people, their loved ones and carers, to manage their illness and remain independent for as long as possible, giving emotional, social, practical and spiritual support
- Providing dedicated, individualised palliative and end of life support helping people to control their pain and other symptoms of concern
- Offering support to enable a person to live well through the course of their illness alongside other therapies that are intended to prolong life
- Supporting our patients, loved ones and carers before and through bereavement
- Working in collaboration with our communities to ensure we are inclusive, respect diversity and provide equitable access to meet the needs of our patients, their loved ones and carers
- Working in partnership with other health care providers and organisations
- Encouraging wider understanding that death and dying is a part of life
- Supporting the local community to be well informed about the care available to them
- Supporting the health and social care workforce through learning and development to provide high-quality, individualised palliative and end of life care
Where St Richard’s cares
St Richard’s offers free care and support for people in the hospice, in the community, in GP surgeries, by telephone or by digital options.
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