Your support is so vital for us

AS THE UK’s leading end-of-life charity, Marie Curie’s work to care for people in their final moments would not be possible without the support of thousands of generous volunteers and supporters throughout the year – but especially during February and March across Wales.

The Great Daffodil Appeal, now in its 38th year, is Marie Curie’s biggest annual fundraising campaign, raising a staggering £5m per year for the charity.

In Wales, our 20 fundraising groups and hundreds of dedicated volunteers who support the charity for a plethora of reasons, support us to deliver the campaign in cities, towns and villages across the country.

You’ll see them donning their daffodil tabards and yellow top hats throughout the campaign, which runs until the end of March. On St David’s Day, volunteers from across Wales took part in 45 separate collections for the charity, including in Cardiff city centre, at Broughton shopping centre, Swansea railway station and at Morrisons stores across Wales.

In Swansea, Andrea of Our Crafty Cwtch donned her Welsh costume to attract the crowds in to donate and celebrate our national day and raised enough money to provide an entire night of Marie Curie nursing care.

Meanwhile, talented songsters from across the country performed concerts in churches and halls in aid of the appeal, including Britain’s Got Talent semi-finalists John’s Boys Choir at Venue Cymru and the Gwalia Singers in Swansea. Hundreds of teachers and children also took part in schools across Wales, donning a daffodil or wearing yellow.

We’ve also seen the Welsh Rugby Union, journalists and football managers don the Marie Curie daffodil and share on social media during the campaign.

But it isn’t just about wearing the charity’s iconic daffodil pin. On March 21, we’re also encouraging individuals, schools and businesses to join in by taking part in Go Yellow day and fundraise for the charity by wearing or baking something yellow at work or school – or in any way that suits them.

Today one in four people don’t get the end-of-life care they need, and Marie Curie’s Great Daffodil Appeal encourages people to donate and wear a daffodil pin to help the charity continue to support people with any illness they’re likely to die from.

Marie Curie is dependent on public donations and last year supporters helped the charity provide direct care to more than 44,200 people across the UK.

The money raised also funds the charity’s free support line and webchat, which is available to provide a listening ear to anyone with an illness they are likely to die from, or those close to them.

Volunteers who have supported the Great Daffodil Appeal for years say they do so to give back to a charity that’s supported them and their community, while feeling rewarded when people who pop their cash in the tins share their stories of Marie Curie support.