Final Flower Installation For Breast Care Centre Reveals Bloomin’ Marvellous Shape!

A thousand metal flowers ‘planted’ at Ipswich Hospital to raise funds for a new Breast Care Centre this week have revealed a bloomin’ marvellous shape!

The flowers have been created for Colchester & Ipswich Hospitals Charity’s Blooms for Blossom. The installation began at the beginning of the month, and now all 1,000 handcrafted metal flowers have been ‘planted’ to reveal the shape of the Blossom Appeal’s logo – a bra.

The shape echoes the cause of the appeal – to fund a new Breast Care Centre at Ipswich Hospital. The Blossom Appeal has been raising funds for the last four years towards the new centre.

Currently patients must visit several locations across the hospital for breast appointments, creating issues with dressing – often having to get dressed and undressed several times – as well lacking one main area for clinics or treatment. The new £5.3m Breast Care Centre will provide a one-stop facility for patients, have separate areas for young people and men, plus designated areas for diagnosis and an outside garden area too.

Kim Collingridge, Lead Breast Cancer Clinical Nurse Specialist at ESNEFT, said: “We want to make sure everyone receives the best possible care when they need it.

“A new breast care centre would make a big difference because we would have dedicated clinics for specific types of work. It we could work with more focus – we wouldn’t be thinking we’re seeing a new patient and then a follow up appointment. It would enable us to be more organised and make better and more effective use of our time.”

To fund the new centre the charity still needs £850,000, so all donations from the Blooms for Blossom will go towards The Blossom Appeal. 

Anyone can donate and have their own limited-edition flower, which has been handcrafted by Suffolk Ironworks, with no two blooms the same. They each come stamped with their own number and a certificate explaining their special meaning.

To donate and take home your own special bloom – or buy one as a gift – visit https://colchesteripswichcharity.org.uk/blooms

You can watch footage of the whole installation of all 1,000 flowers being ‘planted’ at Ipswich Hospital on our YouTube channel. 

Signs and symptoms of breast cancer can be found on the NHS website and include: a new lump or area of thickened tissue, a change in the size or shape, a discharge from the nipple, a lump or swelling in your armpit, a rash or crusting, a change in the look or feel of your skin or a change in the appearance or your nipple. Know the signs and check your breasts and up to your armpit area regularly. If you have any concerns, contact your GP.