Go daffy for Marie Curie Appeal (From Andover Advertiser)

Go daffy for Marie Curie Appeal

9:00am Friday 8th March 2013 in Romsey

WEAR a daffodil to help us.

That’s the message from Marie Curie Cancer Care, as the charity begins its annual Great Daffodil Appeal.

Funds raised during the appeal goes towards providing Marie Curie nurses.

Romsey’s mayor, Mark Cooper, joined the town’s fund-raising group in the grounds of Sarah and Christopher Saunders-Davies’s Greatbridge home for last Friday’s appeal launch, which coincided with St David’s Day.

Marie Curie nurse, Debbie Mallaney and Romsey Fund-raising Group members, Molly Macaulley, Jenny Macklin, Keith Henser, Pat Cox were present, along with Wendy Savage, from Marie Curie’s Hampshire and Isle of Wight fund-raising office. Tomorrow (Saturday), volunteers will be out and about in Romsey town centre selling daffodil badges.

Wendy said: “We very much hope the local community will come along on the day to purchase a daffodil pin and make a donation. Last year, we raised £1,620 in Romsey and we are hope to exceed this in 2013.

“The Great Daffodil Appeal has been running for over 25 years and originally fresh daffodils were given in exchange for a donation.”

The grounds of the Saunders-Davies’s home at The Island in Greatbridge, are a sea of yellow daffodils each spring. The garden will open to the public on Sunday, from 2pm to 5.30pm, as part of the National Gardens scheme. Admission is £4 and Marie Curie is one of the charities that will benefit from money raised. Marie Curie has 2,000 nurses, who last year spent 1.2 million hours caring for terminally-ill patients.

And the charity, which spends more than £80 million annually on its care, research and development, has nine specialist hospices in the UK.