ON THE ROAD: GARDEN OF LIGHT _
Marie Curie – Great Daffodil Appeal.
As part of our On the Road blogs, we not only want it to be revolved around just retail design, but to include great charity work with appealing event executions. One that we wanted to see for ourselves was the Marie Curie Great Daffodil Appeal.
Paternoster Square is turning yellow again for the month of March to represent the well-known terminal illness charity, Marie Curie has unveiled their ‘Garden of Light’ which consisted of 4,000 illuminated daffodils based in London’s Paternoster Square, situated in front of St.Paul’s Cathedral – to mark the launch of the charity’s annual Great Daffodil Appeal.
The immersive art installations allow visitors to walk through the daffodils and stained-glass structures, creating a place for personal reflection and a sense of calm. The space included a trail of sculptural daffodils, inspired by the charity’s emblem, which emerged from the flower beds, each individually designed by artists and famous faces.
While walking amongst the 4,000 daffodils, visitors can listen to letters from patients and families, describing the vital care and support their relatives received from the Marie Curie nurses. The moving audio brings to life a small selection of more than 50,000 people each year that turn to Marie Curie for support, creating a poignant tribute to the charity’s work in caring for people living with a terminal illness.
Visitors are able to donate in return for a daffodil pin in support of the Great Daffodil Appeal at the Garden of Light display, as well as leaving a loving memory behind of a lost loved one – by writing a message on a daffodil, then placing this onto any of the two ‘Memory Walls’ by the installation itself.
The boards were truly lovely to see, to have a read of the loved ones of whom they have lost was a heart-warming experience. We were happy to see this installation for ourselves and to be able to write about it.
We look forward to seeing more charity events soon!