Hospice plans orange floral memorial for spring

Each gerbera is personalised with a name before being placed in a memorial garden

A hospice is offering families the opportunity to remember loved ones by dedicating a flower at its memorial gardens this spring.

In return for a donation, St Giles Hospice is encouraging people to dedicate an orange gerbera at centres in Sutton Coldfield and in Whittington, Staffordshire.

The orange gerbera symbolised "joy, happiness and warmth" and would be the "perfect tribute to a loved one", a hospice spokesperson said.

Funds raised by the Celebrate Lives Lived campaign will go towards caring for patients and their loved ones.

Ali Callear said the event would help to bring the community together

Each gerbera would be personalised with the name of the individual being remembered before placement in the Celebrate Lives Lived gardens throughout May, the hospice said.

Dedications are being accepted online until 19 April, before an opening ceremony takes place on 5 May in Whittington.

Ali Callear, community and family services practitioner, said the event would help bring the community together "to reflect on loved ones who are no longer with us".

“Your donation, however big or small, makes such a difference to the families, and loved ones, myself and the rest of my colleagues at Giles support through such difficult times," she added.