The Elephant in the Room

We are pleased to launch The Elephant in the Room project was started by a lady called Lorna, who following the loss of her husband, joined a sewing group and took inspiration from this when she found herself not wishing to part with some special pieces of her husband’s clothing. She decided to turn these into a beautiful stuffed elephant and found it such a comfort that she wanted to share this with others whilst helping to raise funds for her local hospice.

Dying and death is often a topic that people avoid talking about, in making such a beautiful elephant the aim is to lift the silence and enable people to talk about this topic. The project has been shared with hospices across the UK and we feel privileged to be able to offer this to our families and local community.

We understand it can be difficult to part with or know what to do with a loved one’s clothing and many find comfort in being able to hold close those special pieces which carry so many memories. With our memory elephants, we can turn those precious pieces into your own, one-of-a-kind, cherished keepsake. Whether it be their favourite shirt for special occasions, that jumper they wore every day, or a combination of several pieces of clothing – your elephant, just like your own memories, will be unique to you.

A supporter told us “I’ve had my grandad’s shirt in a storage box for quite some time now. I knew I couldn’t part with it because it was the last real ‘thing’ I had left of him. To be able to use this, along with some of my grandma’s clothing too following her passing, and then turn them into something so lovely, that I can hold whenever I want to, means so much to me.”

If you would like further information or would like to organise to have your own special elephant made, please contact michellemerrison@fnhospice.org.uk. All we ask is for a donation of whatever you can afford, no matter how small, to help us to continue to provide the best care for those who need it, in Buckinghamshire and its borders.