Many attended a charity walk at a popular Teesside park today to raise money for a bereavement charity.
The Snowdrop Walk, which raises money for Child Bereavement UK, took place at Hardwick Park in Sedgefield on Sunday (February 25).
The event offered attendees the opportunity to enjoy a walk and plant snowdrops in memory of a loved one.
Julie Kilpatrick, 62, from Sedgefield, first began holding the event in 2008, inspired to do so after losing her son in 2002.
She said she volunteered at the Snowdrop Walk in High Wycombe after her son’s passing, and decided to bring the walk to the North East after moving.
She said: “We started this in 2008 when we lived in High Wycombe in 2002.
“I volunteered at the Snowdrop Walk, so when we moved up here, I decided to do a Snowdrop Walk in the North East and we’ve been doing this for 17 years now.
“It’s lovely, but behind everyone carrying a snowdrop, there’s usually a bereaved family.
“It’s nice that we’re getting support and hopefully they can come and see the snowdrops and see that every snowdrop planted is in memory of a child, or a baby, or your mum or your dad.
“Just remembering the people you lost, it’s just nice to remember and pay tribute.”
Mrs Kilpatrick’s friend who she has known since secondary school, Julie, 63, from Norton, also attended the event.
Julie said: “I haven’t seen Julie for a long, long time and when we reconnected, she told me about this charity event she runs.
“We thought it was such a lovely idea. We all have a loved one who has died, so we thought we’d come along, plant some snowdrops, and buy some to take home and plant in the house.”
Her friend, Ann Carter, 71, from Norton, said the snowdrops serve as a lovely tribute to lost loved ones.
She said: “I came last year because my goddaughter was diagnosed with a brain tumour and sadly she passed away this year.
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“Last year, we planted a snowdrop when she let people know that she had it.
“She passed away this year so we’ve planted another. It’s a lovely kind of something permanent that you can come back to keep looking at.
“It doesn’t necessarily have to be today.”
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