15 Jul 2026 Community

Spreading Hope, One Little Pink Duck at a Time

Bex Hainsworth has known about The Kirkwood for many years through its charity shops and the important role it plays in the local community. But after being diagnosed with breast cancer, The Kirkwood became a place of care and support for Bex and her family.

Following her diagnosis, Bex underwent a mastectomy, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. In 2019, she learned the cancer had spread to her lymph nodes. A year later, it had spread to her lungs, and in 2022 she was told it had spread further to her spine, both leg bones, liver, lungs and brain.

After spending a couple of weeks on The Kirkwood's In-Patient Unit in June, Bex experienced first-hand the kindness, compassion and specialist care that helped her and her family through one of the most difficult times in their lives.

"We've always known about The Kirkwood," Bex says. "Even when we emptied my grandma's house, lots of things were donated to The Kirkwood. It's always been there."

Living locally in Meltham, Bex believes The Kirkwood plays an essential role across Kirklees.

"I think it's incredibly important for the community. I don't think enough people realise everything The Kirkwood does. We just want more people to know because they care for so many people, and that's really important."

Alongside her family's support for The Kirkwood, Bex has also created something that's brought smiles to thousands of people across the UK – CM Ducks Project.

The idea began after Bex came across painted rocks that people were hiding and sharing online. She loved the concept but admits painting wasn't her strong point.

"I found a painted rock that somebody had hidden and thought it was a lovely idea. I tried painting them myself, but I quickly realised I couldn't draw! Then I came across these little breast cancer awareness ducks online and thought they'd be perfect."

What started as a small idea has grown far beyond anything Bex ever imagined.

"We thought there'd maybe be a few hundred ducks out there. We're now up to around 27,000 ducks."

The project really took off after it was featured by the BBC and other news outlets.

"I woke up one Monday morning to loads of messages from people asking if they could have ducks. Nobody had told me it had been published! Since then, we've sent out over 4,500 packages to people all over the country."

Schools, charities, community groups and families have all embraced the project, taking ducks on adventures and hiding them for others to discover.

"It's become something people really love. They adopt the ducks, give them names and take them on adventures all over the world! People get really attached to them."

Behind every duck is a true family effort, affectionately known as Team Duck.

"We've all got our own jobs. Grandad does most of the laminating, hole punching and tagging. Grandma has the neatest handwriting, so she writes the cards. I sort the posting, and everyone chips in wherever they're needed."

Wherever the family goes, a handful of ducks comes too.

"We leave them at places like Yorkshire Wildlife Park, Castle Hill and lots of other places we visit. We just love seeing where they end up."

One particularly special moment came when Bex was nominated to receive a Hope Pendant, designed by jeweller Catherine Best following her own cancer diagnosis.

A family member nominated Bex because of the joy her duck project was bringing to others, and she was chosen to receive one of the limited-edition pendants.

"I'd only just come out of hospital when it arrived. It was Mother's Day weekend, and it was such a special surprise."

Meeting Catherine Best and receiving the pendant became a moment Bex will never forget.

"It was such a lovely experience. She's such a kind person, and the pendant means so much because it represents hope."

Whether it's supporting The Kirkwood or leaving tiny pink ducks for strangers to find, Bex's mission is simple: to spread hope, bring smiles and remind people that even the smallest act of kindness can make someone's day a little brighter.

If you'd like to help us continue caring for patients like Bex and supporting families like hers, you can make a regular donation by clicking HERE.