An artist from Carlisle is hoping her latest project will provide an everlasting tribute to her sister and a special gift to the charity who cared for her at the end of her life.
Glass Artist Sue Simmons has spent the last six months producing 100 glass sculptures which she has called Eternal Flames. The glass sculptures represent the memory of a loved never dying and will be raising money for Eden Valley Hospice. The hospice cared for Sue’s sister Julie Wood in late 2020 when her symptoms of ovarian, womb and bowel cancer worsened and she died in the hospice in December of that year aged 48.
Sue, a second year Artist Designer Maker: Glass and Ceramics student at Sunderland University, said: “In Carlisle there’s nothing bad anyone says about the hospice, everybody has had a good experience. If I can help with a bit of fundraising to enable another family to have the same level of care and support at the end of someone’s life, then I wanted to be able to do that. “It was nice to know she was there and being looked after so well. We were comfortable in knowing where she was and the standard of care she was getting.” 
Julie is remembered by her family as the “favourite auntie” and someone who loved life. “You knew she was coming before you could see her,” Sue added. “It was usually the music coming from her car. She was effervescent and full of life.”
A private opening ceremony for a small number of Sue and Julie’s family and friends took place in the hospice yesterday (Sunday) where the flames were revealed to people for the first time. To continue offering care and support to people like Julie and her family, it costs the charity more than £4 million each year, with more than £3 million of that needing to be raised by the hospice through a variety of fundraising initiatives.
Eleanor Viney, fundraising manager for the hospice, said: “The sculptures Sue has created look absolutely fantastic and we’re exceptionally grateful to her for all the time and effort she has put into her fundraising project. The flames are a really wonderful way to remember someone and they will raise much-needed funds for the hospice and allow us to continue caring for other local people.”
(Taken from 'The News & Star' newspaper, Cumbria - March 2023)

The event raised a magnificent £2,545, thank you to everyone who purchase a flame.   Sue.