Thriving Sunflower Project returns for sixth year

The Big Sunflower Project needs your help to grow the biggest number of sunflowers in 2016!

The Big Sunflower Project is now in its sixth year and aims to raise awareness of the rare neuromuscular conditions Centronuclear and Myotubular Myopathy.

The project is inviting schools and community groups to take part and help the project continue to flourish.

Toni Abram, who runs the project, was diagnosed with centronuclear myopathy along with her father in 1998. In 2001, she set up The Information Point website and a global community began to grow.

By 2011, Toni wanted to do something to mark the 10 year anniversary of the website and sought out a project which all physical abilities could take part in.

With this in mind, The Big Sunflower Project was born and after a lot of hard work getting the project off the ground, the initiative has reached all across the UK and beyond.

The project welcomes participation from anyone, as the aim is to have sunflowers growing somewhere in the world all year round. The only criteria for taking part is that you are willing to have a go and share your photos and stories with the project.

The year’s project has reached 66 places so far, including Scotland, Ireland and even as far as Hungary, but there is still time to get involved.

Calderstones School in Liverpool has been involved in the project for a number of years and are ‘proud to help out’.

“The project is a fun and easy way to support Toni by raising awareness of her charity. Sunflowers grow quickly and you can get results for pupils to monitor within a week of sowing seeds,” said Teacher Emma Taylor Johnson. “The project enables an easy introduction into gardening and supporting wildlife (such as bees) while also knowing that they are helping promote such a good cause.”

Founder Toni Abram, says: “It has been a joy to watch not only my own sunflowers grow but the sunflowers of project participants too – they have been grown in the UK, Europe and America, in gardens, on allotments, by schools, hospitals, community groups and even in a vineyard.

“I know how much love has gone into each sunflower grown and how proud the growers feel when their flowers bloom, every sunflower photo received is posted online which in turn raises awareness of centronuclear and myotubular myopathy wherever the photos are seen.”

The seeds are free of charge to anyone in the UK and Europe wanting to take part. For further information visit www.thebigsunflowerproject.wordpress.com and follow The Info Point on Twitter.