JACQUI Cook loves flowers - so a beautiful wooden forget-me-not is a fitting way for her to remember lost loved ones.

It is 22 years since her mum Ruth Gore died of breast cancer in her early 60s and eight years since husband Steve also died of cancer, aged 56.

Jacqui, from Hale, has dedicated flowers to both as part of a Forget-me-not Appeal run by St Ann's Hospice, which has the flower as its emblem.

Jacqui has worked for the hospice for 19 years and is support services officer at the Neil Cliffe Centre at Wythenshawe Hospital where it has an outpatients unit.

She said: "Steve would always buy me flowers and wanted me to remember him and he asked that I was sent a bouquet every month in the year after he died. The forget-me-not appeal is a great way of remembering someone special, regardless of when they died or whether they were a patient at the hospice.

"I know from my time working here just how much the hospice relies on donations to provide its range of free services."

The appeal, which runs until June 20, is in its second year, having raised £37,000 last year thanks to dedications from hundreds of supporters.

Names of loved ones are hand-written on to the flowers which are displayed at a chosen hospice site at Heald Green, Little Hulton or the Neil Cliffe Centre at Wythenshawe Hospital during July before they are available for collection. For more details go to www.sah.org.uk/forget-me-not.

Nicky Monks, ward manager at St Ann's Hospice, said: "People often ask me if there's a way they can have some kind of memorial at the hospice to remember those they love and I'm pleased to say the first forget-me-not appeal was a great success.

"This year we're determined to plant more flowers and the more we raise the more we can support those who rely on us; not just patients with pain relief and other aspects of end-of-life care, but their family members too.

“Despite meeting us at such a difficult time most people who've spent time at St Ann's think of us with great fondness and appreciation."