Award-winning home and giftware designer, Meg Hawkins, has found herself at the centre of a very special collaboration with charity Marie Curie, which cares for those living with terminal illness and offers vital support to their loved ones.

The project began in September 2019 when Meg met Joanna Mazzotta, who manages the Creative New Product Development for Marie Curie. They met at the Autumn Fair at the NEC, Birmingham and exchanged details.
Once the fair was over, they remained in touch and had many conversations deliberating which designs and items would be best for the creation of a new product.

After much back and forth, ‘Bee Yourself’, was chosen as the favourite. Marie Curie hospices have beautiful gardens for people to enjoy, so a bee seemed a perfect fit as a reference to the bees and butterflies that frequent the plants in the fresh air, as residents and their families take a moment to be at one with nature.
The new ‘Bee Yourself’ bumble bee design will feature on tote bags exclusively for Marie Curie, with all proceeds from each one sold being donated to the charity.

Joanna said: “I liked Meg’s artistic style very much and was looking to bring a new bee related design into the Spring Summer 2020 range that would link to the gardens that are so important at our hospices.  Meg was a real pleasure to work with on this project”

This charity is very close to Meg’s heart. She says “Over the past few years it seems I have watched many close friends and family members struggle with the devastating effects of cancer. It seems all too common now that we hear stories of people going through difficult times with illness, but when someone close to you is diagnosed, the world comes crashing down around you”. 

Meg continues “I sadly lost my Mother-in-Law to bowel cancer and my Uncle to bladder cancer. Two of my Aunts are currently fighting the disease as well. On a positive note, one of my closest friends has recently had the all clear from a rare form of leukaemia, and I am absolutely thrilled that my Dad has been given the all clear after a battle with prostate cancer”.

This has all been within the past five years and the list seems so long, but Meg believes that there is always hope, love and care. She says, “I’ve watched some of those close to me pull through and have experienced the sad loss of others, but Marie Curie are an amazing charity that is there to help through these situations”.

“Being asked to collaborate on creating such a special and meaningful product filled me with hope and joy that I could give something back”.

You can get your tote bag on the below link, it is perfect for sustainable shopping, and your purchase will make a big difference to a fantastic charity that help so many families through the hardest of times.
https://shop.mariecurie.org.uk/product/exclusive-bee-yourself-cotton-book-bag