Following their 2018 Forgot Me Not, which saw more than 3,000 cast-iron forget me not flowers bought in memory of someone special, and raised more than £40,000 for LOROS, the charity is now launching the 2019 limited edition LOROS Robin, which will be the second collectable in the ‘Always Remembered’.
Each lovingly crafted robin measures 14cm in height and can be fastened to a variety of indoor and outdoor surfaces. Priced at £25 each robin purchased will provide funds for one hour’s care for a LOROS inpatient. With a memory garden also set to launch on Jubilee Square, we caught up with LOROS Senior Marketing Officer, Yasmin Mears, to find out more.
Where did the idea for the Always Remembered campaign first stem from?
LOROS Fundraising Co-ordinator, Charlotte Dayman, was first given the brief in August 2018 to create an ‘in memory’ campaign to follow on from our Forget Me Not campaign. The phrase ‘When Robins appear, loved ones are near’ is very close to her heart and she thought robins would be a great follow on and addition to peoples’ homes to represent their loved one.
You’ll also be holding a memory garden event in Jubilee Square, can you give us a little more information about this?
The memory garden, which will be on display in Jubilee Square, from Monday 2nd September to Friday 6th September, is a quiet place for people to visit to take some time out to sit and remember their loved one/s. Visitors will have the chance to walk through the garden and spot our robins hidden in the trees or take a seat on a bench in the garden. We will also have a children’s robin activity area, café. We will also be hosting a late night on Wednesday 4th September, giving people the opportunity to visit the garden at dusk and enjoy the garden with live music as the sun sets.
What made you choose a robin as a symbol for this year’s campaign?
Robins are important to many people and are not always seen, making them rare and special and fitting to symbolise loved ones no longer with us. It’s funny though, we’ve mentioned the campaign to so many and when robins appear, it’s remarkable how many people think of their loved ones.
Each robin costs £25, which equates to an hour of care for a patient at LOROS. How important is it for people to back these wonderful campaigns?
We are a local charity caring for local people, we need to raise more than £6 million per year in voluntary income to do this. We hope the Robin Campaign will raise at least £60,000 towards this goal.
What other fundraising events do you have coming up for people to get involved in?
LOROS are also involved in the Leicester Marathon with all proceeds going to LOROS, we are actively looking for volunteer marshals. The marathon takes place on Sunday 6th October 2019, to get involved please email [email protected]
Where can people buy from and find out more information?
Robins can be purchased from your local LOROS shop, at the display in Jubilee Square, or online by visiting loros.co.uk/robins
You can visit the LOROS memory garden on Jubilee Square from Monday 2 – Saturday 7 September. Robins will be available to purchase from your local LOROS shop or online from Monday 2 September.
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