11 Aug 2026 Community

A beautiful day for our Sunflower Memories Garden Party.

On a sunny August day, we welcomed our community back to The Kirkwood Garden for a celebration filled with sunshine, memories, music and togetherness.

The annual Sunflower Memories event is a special day for many. Each year, people from across Kirklees visit The Kirkwood Garden in memory and celebration of their loved ones, finding their dedications among the wave of sunflower plaques lovingly ‘planted’ by our team of staff and volunteers.

And behind every sunflower dedication is a story, a loved one and a memory that makes this event so special.

For Beverly Butcher, this year's Garden Party was a particularly meaningful one. Beverly dedicated a sunflower to her son in law, who died from MND last year and had received support from The Kirkwood. Just a week later, her dad died from pancreatic cancer, followed eight months later by her mum, who died from lung cancer. Both also received care and support from The Kirkwood.

“It’s been a bit of a traumatic year,” Beverly explained. “But coming here and being in the gardens under different circumstances, it’s so lovely.”

The support her family received went far beyond the specialist care provided at The Kirkwood. Community nurses visited her parents at home, equipment was arranged when they needed it, and her daughter was supported with counselling after losing her husband and the father of her two young children.

Beverly described The Kirkwood as a place that provides “360-degree care”, supporting not only the person who is ill, but the people around them too.

For Beverly, the Sunflower Memories Garden Party also felt like a turning point, as she is beginning to feel more positive. Dressed in yellow for the occasion, Beverly also spoke about why sunflowers have become so significant to her family.

“I feel like I reached for my mum and that’s what sunflowers do. They reach the sun and follow it, always turning towards the light, and that’s how I try to think of her now. Yellow was her favourite colour, so it feels even more fitting.”

And perhaps that perfectly captured the feeling of the day. While everyone had their own reasons for being there, the Garden Party felt less like a day of sadness and more like a celebration of the lives of those who are no longer with us.
 

Pictured above: Beverley Butcher

Margaret Hall and her daughter Jo have been dedicating sunflowers to Margaret’s husband and Jo’s dad, Phillip, for around five years. They also made a dedication this year to Richard Layton, a much-loved uncle and brother-in-law who sadly died in May.

Phillip spent the final days of his life at The Kirkwood, having always said it was where he wanted to be. His family remember the care he received as something very different to their experiences of hospital.

“You could tell how caring the support team were, and all the doctors,” Jo recalled. “It was very much about you (Margaret), Dad and me.”

Margaret remembered one of the doctors kneeling down to speak to Phillip while he was sitting in his chair, sharing that it’s small acts like this that make you realise how different hospice care on the In-Patient Unit is in comparison to a hospital environment.

Even during the restrictions of COVID, the family were supported to spend precious time together safely. They could bring in their own food and drink, sit outside with their dog and make the space feel as much like home as possible.

“It was the nicest death he could have had,” Margaret said. “They were absolutely marvellous.”
 

Pictured above: Margaret Hall and her daughter Jo
 

Today, Margaret and Jo continue to return to The Kirkwood, not only for Sunflower Memories but because they want to give something back. Jo also volunteers in one of The Kirkwood shops, where she sees first-hand how many people feel connected to The Kirkwood through their own experiences.

“I think it creates a lot of community,” she said. “You’re giving something back to something that’s worthwhile.”

And community was certainly at the heart of this year's Garden Party.

Under glorious August sunshine, visitors wandered through The Kirkwood Garden, pausing to take in the sunflower dedications and share memories with family and friends. The garden was filled with music from Almondbury Ladies Choir and Shelley Over 60s Ukulele Group, while the scent of homemade treats drifted from the popular cake and coffee station and a sizzling BBQ, kindly prepared by garden volunteer Martin, added to the summer atmosphere.

We were incredibly grateful to Haigh’s Farm Shop, Marks & Spencer Huddersfield, Tesco Huddersfield and Tesco Express Moldgreen for their generous donations of food and refreshments.

With temperatures soaring, a large gazebo kindly donated by Towndoor offered a welcome patch of shade, giving visitors a place to sit, relax and soak up the atmosphere at their own pace.

We were also incredibly grateful to our Sunflower Memories sponsor, Garry Scott Groundworks, Landscaping and Maintenance. With his own connection to The Kirkwood and a shared appreciation of the healing power of outdoor spaces, Garry’s support helped create a day where families could remember loved ones surrounded by nature, friendship and community.

Thousands of sunflower seed packets were also gifted to visitors, helping the memories and spirit of the day continue to bloom long after the Garden Party was over.
 

We would like to thank everyone who made a dedication, joined us for the Garden Party, volunteered their time, donated food or helped make the day possible. We would also like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Beverley, Margaret and Jo for so generously sharing their stories with us.
 

From the music and sunshine to the food, laughter and countless memories shared, it was a beautiful reminder that remembering someone we love can bring people together.