Ever wanted to take a piece of Kendal Calling home with you? A memento for all of the happy memories gained in the fields? We are pleased to announce the Ten Thousand Daffodils charity fundraising project. It is set in the beautiful gardens of Lowther Castle on the Lowther Estate, where we are lucky enough every year for a weekend to run Kendal Calling.
A striking and highly imaginative ceramic installation, Ten Thousand Daffodils takes its inspiration from Wordsworth’s poem and features a carpet of 10,000 ceramic daffodils displayed in the gardens of Lowther Castle. At the end of the installation, all the daffodils will be sold to the public and the money raised will go to six designated charities – Another Way, Sunbeams Music Trust, Ullswater Catchment Management CIC and Friends of The Ullswater Way, all local; the New Horizon Youth Centre and James’ Place, both national. It is hoped that around £300,000 will be shared among them. The event is based on the hugely successful Poppies at the Tower of London, which likewise raised an impressive sum for charity.
Mastermind of the project, Ullswater Way based potter Helen Ratcliffe explains: “All the charities are focused on creating better futures for the planet and us. Friends of the Ullswater Way, Another Way and Ullswater Catchment Management CIC are local charities working towards positively impacting the environment. Sunbeams is a delightful music therapy charity” Helen goes on to say, “also based in the nearby Ullswater Valley; New Horizon focuses on helping young homeless people find a home; and finally James’ Place was nominated by the Lowther family as it is a charity that helps young men in suicidal crisis.” The strong emphasis on the environment mirrors Lowther’s nature-friendly farming strategy which has been put in place to encourage natural processes to return, carbon capture to improve and wildlife to flourish. The estate’s wilding efforts are particularly focused on the medieval Deer Park, the site of Kendal Calling.“
In its preparations for the installation, the Ten Thousand Daffodils team has received a huge amount of help, with over 500 people having come forward to help out with the project. These volunteers have ranged from locals to people from the other side of the globe! “Their smiling faces and endless energy on the darkest and chilliest winter days have spurred us on. Many of our volunteers already benefit from the services of our beneficiary charities and so connections are deep,” Helen says.
When we asked Helen which song best describes the campaign, she answered “With a Little Help from My Friends by The Beatles”. The title alone sums up what this project has been all about: People coming together, giving their time to achieve something incredibly special.” Much the same as our festival in the fields each year. “In addition Ten Thousand Daffodils has not only created a piece of art but also is facilitating the work and growth of smaller, lesser-known deserving charities.”
Helen adds: “The daffodil is celebrated as a symbol of the coming of spring and with it hope of brighter days ahead.” Not only does the event echo the brighter, more exciting days of Kendal Calling but we also find it fits with the overall message of Kendal Calling, people coming together, forming new friendships in the fields, and providing a space for new relationships to flourish!
If you would like to reserve your own daffodil, you can do so at: https://tenthousanddaffodils.org/product/a-unique-hand-crafted-daffodil/
If you wish to visit the ceramic installation, it will be running from 24 April – 24 June 2023, at the Lowther Castle & Gardens: https://tenthousanddaffodils.org/the-project/
If you would like to reserve your own daffodil, you can do so at: https://tenthousanddaffodils.org/product/a-unique-hand-crafted-daffodil/
If you wish to visit the ceramic installation, it will be running from 24 April – 24 June 2023, at the Lowther Castle & Gardens: https://tenthousanddaffodils.org/the-project/
