Assembly Members joined forces with Tenby pupils to ‘get behind the daffodil’ at the official Wales launch of the Marie Curie Great Daffodil Appeal at the Senedd last week.

Students from Ysgol Greenhill School helped launch Marie Curie’s biggest annual fundraising campaign along with Minister for Finance Jane Hutt AM.

Marie Curie invited the pupils along to the event to showcase a board game highlighting the issues faced by young carers. In June last year Ysgol Greenhill School pupils were among the first in Wales to play the ‘I Care…Do You?’ board game, and they were asked to attend the Senedd event to play the English and Welsh language versions of the game to demonstrate to Assembly Members the contrasting roles of young carers and their peers.

The distribution of the game is supported by the Marie Curie Caring for Carers in Wales project, funded by the Big Lottery, and the launch event gave the charity the stage to talk about its work with carers across Wales.

The Marie Curie Great Daffodil Appeal, now in its 30th year, is encouraging people in Wales to help the charity raise more money than ever before by simply giving a donation and wearing a Marie Curie daffodil pin, available from volunteers across the country, Superdrug stores, WHSmiths shops and Wyevale garden centres and many other locations throughout February and March.

Jane Hutt AM, Minister for Finance and Leader of the House, said of the Marie Curie Great Daffodil Appeal launch: “It is fantastic to see so many of my Assembly colleagues ‘getting behind the daffodil’ to support this year’s Marie Curie Great Daffodil Appeal. I hope the people of Wales will follow suit by making a donation and wearing their Marie Curie daffodil with pride this February and March.”

Simon Jones, head of policy and public affairs, Wales for Marie Curie, said: “It is pleasing that so many of our Assembly Members have joined us to launch the start of this important appeal.

“Every year we are astounded by the level of support we receive from the people of Wales, and I hope we can rely on their backing once again as we raise vital funds to support people living with a terminal illness, and their families, across Wales. I pass on a heartfelt thank you to all those who volunteer to collect, and those who stop to donate, for enabling the charity to continue its vital work.”

Last year volunteers in Wales helped raise more than £260,000 by collecting donations from members of the public.

For more information about the Great Daffodil Appeal and to volunteer to collect for Marie Curie please call 0845 601 3107* or visit www.mariecurie.org.uk/daffodil. To donate £5 text *DAFF to 70111 or call 0800 716 146 to donate over the phone.