THE gardens of Pendleside Hospice will be blooming this month with 750 sunflower plaques brightening up the grounds.

The “flowers”, each with the name of a departed loved one inscribed on them, have been planted in the hospice grounds to provide a colourful display.

Hundreds gathered last Saturday to plant the sunflowers during a special Celebration of Life Service, after which, cream teas and refreshments were served.

Each sunflower plaque has the name of a loved one handwritten on it.

They will be displayed in the hospice gardens throughout June, which is traditionally Hospice Sunflower Month.

A short service for those attending was presided over by the hospice’s spiritual co-ordinator, Chris Cheeseman.

Among those who found solace and joy in the event were Tammy Cooper and her daughters Tienna and Ziani.

They were celebrating the life of Tammy’s husband, Tom Cooper, 28, who died in December.

He had suffered from Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma, a rare form of cancer behind the nose.

Tammy, said: “It was a lovely service at the hospice planting sunflowers in the garden in memory of our loved ones.

“The girls and I planted ours in memory of Tom, who continues to be a much loved and missed husband and daddy.

“It was also really lovely to go into the hospice and catch up with the wonderful nurses who took great care of Tom and us as a family.

“The people there are absolute angels.”

Kaye Bartle, from Pendleside Hospice, said: “The service was a very well attended event and blessed by the weather.

“Around £10,500 has already been raised from the event.

“To acknowledge sunflower donations we send people a sunflower celebration card and a voucher for an enamel sunflower pin badge.

“We are keeping our online dedications open throughout June.

“If you dedicate a sunflower before the end of June it will be written and planted in our gardens for the rest of the month.”