End of life charity, Marie Curie, is urgently calling for volunteers in the North East to give just two hours of their time to hand out the charity’s iconic daffodil pins in return for donations.
Volunteers will be supporting the charity’s annual flagship fundraiser – the Great Daffodil Appeal – which was forced to cancel its public collections for the past two years due to the pandemic. This year collections are going ahead in all large Morrisons stores across the North East. Marie Curie is urging new and existing supporters to come forward to show their support.
Last year Marie Curie provided direct support to more than 69,000 people – a 15% rise on the previous year – which is more than ever before.
The charity is dependent on public donations so that its nurses can continue working on the frontline caring for people at the end of life in their own homes and at the Marie Curie Newcastle Hospice. Donations also support its Information and Support line, which provides a listening ear to anyone dealing with any aspect of death, dying and bereavement.
KELLY KNIGHTING-WYKES, HEAD OF FUNDRAISING NORTH ENGLAND, said:
“We’re so excited that this year we’ll be dusting off our big yellow hats and getting back out there again to host our much-loved collections.
“We can’t do this alone, though. We rely on volunteers to donate their time to help us raise as much money as we can so that we can continue to work across the North East and ensure Marie Curie is there for terminally ill people, and their families in their final days, weeks, months.
“Volunteering at a collection is not only a great way to support Marie Curie but also a chance to meet new people in your local community. Our team will support you from the moment you sign-up too, making sure you have everything you need to safely encourage the public to donate and wear one of our iconic daffodil pins.”
During the Great Daffodil Appeal the annual National Day of Reflection will take place. On 23 March, the charity is encouraging everyone to wear a daffodil pin and take a moment to show their support for the millions of people bereaved during the pandemic and remember the people we’ve lost.
To sign-up to volunteer to collect for Marie Curie’s Great Daffodil Appeal, visit Mariecurie.org.uk/collect