Great Daffodil Appeal

The Great Daffodil Appeal is Marie Curie's biggest annual fundraising campaign.^[1] Every March, millions of people across the UK support this fundraising event by giving a small donation to wear a daffodil pin. This makes it one of the UK’s most recognisable charity appeals.^[2] Money raised through the appeal helps Marie Curie provide free care and support to people living with a terminal illnesses.

History

The first Great Daffodil Appeal took place in 1986 with volunteers collecting donations and handing out fresh daffodils.

In 1995, Marie Curie replaced fresh flowers with fabric daffodil pins. Three million were given out and £1.2 million was donated. In 2005, the charity used the term ‘Great Daffodil Appeal’ for the first time.

In 2011, actress Alison Steadman appeared in the charity’s first TV advertising campaign for the appeal. Alison has continued her support for the appeal, appearing in TV ads in 2012,2014 and 2015, as well as the 2016 radio advert with actor Dominic West.

Key facts

In 2014/15, the charity provided care to more than 40,700 people with terminal illnesses, and is the largest provider of hospice beds outside the NHS.

The millions raised by the Great Daffodil Appeal over the years have enabled Marie Curie to provide more free hands-on care to people living with a terminal illness, usually in their own homes or at one of the charity’s nine hospices.

During the 2015 Great Daffodil Appeal, more than 22,000 collectors took on 34,000 collections.

As part of the 2016 appeal, supporters are also being encouraged to raise funds by doing something they love, such as hosting a bake sale or quiz night.