London turns yellow for launch of Marie Curie’s Great Daffodil Appeal
03 Mar 2009
London will spring into action on Thursday March 5 with a flurry of activity across the city to celebrate the launch of Marie Curie Cancer Care’s annual Great Daffodil Appeal.
The London skyline will glow as The London Eye turns yellow to support the appeal and, over in Trafalgar Square, a field of 200 giant biodegradable daffodils will come to life.
The daffodil installation, created by the Magpie art collective from the University of Arts London, will be surrounded by break dancers, freerunners, acrobats and mime artists. An east end pearly King and Queen will be at the event and Marie Curie Cancer Care Nurses and volunteers will be on hand to talk to the public about the work of the charity and how people can access free nursing care from the charity.
Blu Tack makers Bostik, who have developed a limited edition ‘Yellow Tack’ for the Great Daffodil Appeal, will be doing creative demonstrations on the square to encourage people to create their own piece of artwork with Yellow Tack for their ‘Design-A-Daff” competition.
North London based actor Stephen Mangan (Green Wing and Free Agents) is also supporting the Great Daffodil Appeal 2009. Both of Stephen’s parents died of cancer and were looked after at home by Marie Curie Nurses.
Stephen said: ““I’d just learnt to play the guitar when I left university so I used to sit by mum’s bed and play to her, very badly I might add. She seemed to like it but I don’t think it would have gone down well on a hospital ward. We had many very special moments with both mum and dad in the relaxed and familiar surroundings of home. I’m proud to be supporting the appeal and will be wearing my daffodil not only in memory of mum and dad but to support the thousands of Marie Curie Nurses going out to homes across the UK every day.”
All money raised from the Great Daffodil Appeal helps provide more free nursing care for people with cancer and other terminal illnesses in their own home and the charity’s hospices. For further information about the appeal or to find out how you can help, please call the Daffodil Hotline on 0845 601 3107 (local rate) or visit www.mariecurie.org.uk/daffodil.
To access a Marie Curie Nurse, speak to your GP or district nurse. For more
Information, please visit Marie Curie website.