Sunflower Appeal – Home Start East Lancashire

Sunflower Appeal – Home Start East Lancashire
A few days ago, Home Start East Lancashire launched their Sunflower Appeal to raise awareness of the issues facing families and children during Covid-19 and the impact it will have on families post Covid-19.

The sunflower is intended to be symbol of hope and joy for children who have been staying at home, missing friends, and school and struggling to understand and adapt to the current crisis.

We want to recognise the sacrifice the children are making currently. The meaning behind the sunflower is that as it emerges from the darkness of the soil and turns its face to the Sun, so will we emerge from this pandemic.

We also want to add the rainbow brightness of our communities by asking as many people as possible to plant some sunflower seeds, nurture them and watch them grow. We will be having #SunflowerSunday where we will ask people to post pictures of their growing sunflowers each week as they grow.

We have put together some activity packs which we are delivering to all our families over the next couple of weeks which will include a Certificate from our mascot Ryan the Lion, congratulating the children on staying at home, some craft activities and some sunflower seeds to plant.

We are also asking for the support of local business to distribute the seeds in the community so that the Sunflower becomes a symbol of hope and joy for all and hopefully be seen on windowsills and gardens across the whole of East Lancashire. 

How to grow your sunflower
1. Put some compost or soil into your plant pot* then push your finger into the middle the compost to make a hole. If you don’t have a plant pot, you can use a yogurt pot, or an egg box or a toilet roll tube. Make sure you make some holes in the bottom of anything plastic so that it doesn’t get too wet. (To make a pot from a toilet roll tube, first flatten it then make 4 equally spaced cuts 1-2 cm long. Open up the tube and fold the flaps so that they cover the hole).

2. Remove the seed from the packet, put it in the hole and cover over the seed with compost or soil.

3. Decorate your plant pot if you like.

4. Write your name, the date and the seed type on a label and stick it in the side of the pot (not in the middle where your seed is!).

5. Put the pot on a saucer or plate outside and put water into the saucer.

6. Keep adding water to the saucer if the compost or soil feels dry.

7. When the seedling starts to grow, carefully dig it out of the first pot and put it in a bigger pot filled with soil or compost in the same way as point 1 above. Or you can plant it in the soil in your garden.

GOOD LUCK, GROWERS! Take a photo of your decorated pot and sunflower seedlings as they grow. Feel free to send them to info@colnetalk.co.uk and we will do a collective feature.

Donations
You can donate to HomeStart East Lancashire and help the to support more families by visiting https://localgiving.org/charity/home-start-in-east-lancashire/. or by texting SUNFLOWERS to 70085 to donate £5. Texts cost £5 plus one standard rate message (you will be opting in to hear more about our work and fundraising via telephone and SMS. If you would like to give £5 but do not wish to receive marketing communications, text SUNFLOWERSNOINFO to 70085).