Warwick Davis opens St Barnabas Hospice ironwork heart display at Lincoln Cathedral

St Barnabas Hospice opened its new display at Lincoln Cathedral with help from a Hollywood star.

The charity has many hospices throughout the county, including on Barrowby Road, Grantham, and in Grantham Hospital.

More than 1,200 handmade iron hearts have been installed at the Dean's Green at Lincoln Cathedral in the hopes of raising £100,000 for palliative care and end of life care for those with terminal of life-limiting conditions.

Charity patron and actor, Warwick Davis, opened the display to the public, which will remain in place until Monday, April 18.

Warwick said: "It’s a pleasure to unveil the Forever in our Hearts garden here at the Dean’s Green. People can donate and get a heart to remember a loved one who may have passed. All the money goes towards the hospice and keeping it running.

"I hope to continue to support St Barnabas in the work that they do. Fundraising and donations fund around 50% of St Barnabas’ running costs, so it’s very important that the fundraising continues."

He added: "This Hospice covers the whole of Lincolnshire. The charity is very close to home and may be something that we need and rely on in the future. What you donate today could even help you in the future."

St Barnabas Hospice has opened similar installations across Lincolnshire in recent years including the Forget-Me-Not display at Lincoln Castle in 2019 and the Dragonfly Appeal at Doddington Hall in 2020.

Emma Gowland has helped lead the campaign in memory of her dad, Geoff Gowland.

She said: "St Barnabas Hospice looked after my dad when he passed away, and they came to me to ask if I’d like to be involved in this campaign after I dedicated some wildflowers to him as part of their Wildflower Appeal last year."

She continued: "Some people might think that the care stops when someone passes away, but it doesn’t.

"I’ve been a massive advocate for St Barnabas ever since my dad passed, so when they asked me to take part in this campaign, there wasn’t even a second thought; I just said yes.

"In a weird way, seeing it all brings happy emotions; It really shows you how many people St Barnabas has helped. I think I’ll be coming here every weekend."

The suggested donation for a heart is £35.54, which is the equivalent to one hour of specialist inpatient care at the hospice.

Anyone can donate a heart regardless of whether their loved ones received hospice care or not.

Fundraising development manager, Holly Eyre, added: "We’ve placed more than 1,200 hearts; they mean a lot to all those who have donated in memory of their loved ones and it’s a beautiful tribute to have them all on display in the Dean’s Green at Lincoln Cathedral."

All of the hearts are handmade locally by Stefanos at The Old Smithy, and to dedicate a heart in memory of a loved one or find out more about the appeal, visit https://stbarnabashospice.co.uk/foreverhearts/