Almost 100 personalised hearts have been bought in the first week of a Hospice Hearts project run by Beaumond House Hospice Care.
The project started on Friday to launch a new £100,000 fundraising campaign, Keep Our Hospice in Your Heart.
The aim is to plant 1,000 handmade hearts in the hospice garden featuring the first name of a loved one.
They will be made by local potter Karen Chesney who will place them in the garden to create a spectacular display.
Supporters will be invited along to see their heart once the installation is in underway. The hearts will remain in the garden until the autumn when they can be collected to keep.
Joy Mills, who late husband Maurice Cable was one of the founders of the hospice, put the first heart in place on Friday.
The second was placed by Angela Perrett in memory of her mum Brenda Needham who was a much-loved patient at the hospice.
The third one was put in place in memory of John Oldham, a former director and long-term supporter of Beaumond House.
One of the hearts was bought by James West, a supporter of Beaumond House in memory of his late Mother, Marie.
“My Mum passed away at home as she wished, and this was made possible by the wonderful Hospice at Home team. Beaumond House were an amazing support to the whole family and we’ll never forget that”. Said James.
“Each heart will be crafted with care and brought together to form the installation,” said Karen.
“The more we can make, the greater the impact will be.”
Volunteer co-ordinator Lucy Millard said it was wonderful that so many people have already said they want to be part of the project.
“We are so grateful to everybody who is making this happen,” she said.
More details about how to reserve a heart can be found on www.beaumondhouse.co.uk/heartourhospice
