Flower Tower Brings Festival Feel
Over two thousand flowers will cover St Cynwyd’s, Llangynwyd, church tower on the launch day of the Churches Unlocked Festival.
Local people in Llangynwyd have been knitting, crocheting and patchworking fabric flowers since January to prepare for this event. Each flower is available to be sponsored in memory of a loved one.
St Cynwyd’s curate, Rev’d Geraint John said, “The flowers were a way of getting some engagement with the community. For those who are coming through the village for the festival, and to visit, it's got two very ancient pubs at the top. So, they're quite busy usually as well. So, the flowers are a visual sign that something is going on. And hopefully it will encourage people to stop and come on come and see what's going on and to take part in the festival then.”
The flowers have been carefully arranged and fastened onto chicken wire by Sue and her team of helpers. The structure will then be rolled up and suspended with ropes on the side of the church tower ready for the unveiling at 12noon on Saturday 18th June. Once released the flowers will look as if they are cascading down the tower but will be able to be seen all week by locals, passers-by and Churches Unlocked festivalgoers.
St Cynwyd's Parish Administrator Barbara first saw in a newspaper that church in England had done a similar project. Churchwarden Sue Thomas took hold of the idea as a nice thing for people to do over the winter months. Dozens of people took to their craft kits and have collectively made over 2000 flowers.
Sue said, “There have been so many people involved in different ways… We advertised on social media and put notices up around the church and people have been phoning me and putting [sponsorship] money through my door. I have been absolutely thrilled with the response.”
The money raised from the sponsored flowers will go towards the upkeep of the church and eventually the refurbishing of the church’s school room where once finished the flowers will be permanently displayed.
Rev’d Geraint said he was most looking forward to the mix of events St Cynwyd will be hosting for the Churches Unlocked week. “We've got some history events going on. We recognised that music is a big part of the culture in Llangynwyd so we've got a concert on the Friday night. It's just the sheer mix of different events that are going on really. Hopefully, the tower of flowers will bring people who don't tend to engage with the church, inside the church just to see what's going on.”
A second display of flowers made of card will be brightening up the church porch covered with he names of people who have been associated with or worshipped at St Cynwyd over the years.
To sponsor a flower in memory of a loved one for £5 call Sue on 734600.