A special rose named after broadcaster Dianne Oxberry is going on sale to help raise money for a charity set up in her honour.
The news presenter, who hosted North West Tonight for 23 years, passed away at the Christie Hospital in January 2019 at the age of 51 shortly after being diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
Following her death, a flower at the RHS Tatton Park Flower Show was named in her honour by husband Ian. The Florida Sunset Rose takes its name from a special island on the Gulf coast of Florida that the BBC presenter fell in love with.
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The flower can be seen blooming as part of The Dianne Oxberry Rose Garden at MediaCity, which opened last year and features special messages to help visitors understand the symptoms of ovarian cancer.
75 of the exclusive roses, which are grown at Bridgemere Nursery in Cheshire, are set to come into bloom this month. The Florida Sunset Rose will now go on sale for the first time to help raise money for the charity set up by her husband in her name to fight ovarian cancer.
“The roses look amazing in both the special garden in MediaCity and also at home in gardens, patios or pots too,” Ian Hindle, Dianne’s husband, said.
“We’ve been overwhelmed by the response from the public since we opened the garden in Dianne’s name and love seeing people sharing pictures of them visiting it on social media.
“We’re hoping that, as people see how wonderful the flowers look, they might also want to purchase one for themselves. And, with a percentage of the sales coming to the Dianne Oxberry Trust, we know that everyone bought will help us reach out to even more local people about the symptoms of ovarian cancer.”
Speaking at the time of the garden opening, Sally Nugent said: "Dianne was taken from us all far too soon. I hope today we can remind women to pay attention to the signs of ovarian cancer that can be all too easy to miss.
“Also let's remember our brilliant friend - her kindness, generosity and wicked sense of humour."
The garden signage includes information on the signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer, as well as a QR code to link to the Dianne Oxberry Trust’s special Spread the Word web page which contains all of the details of what to look out for, and how to share with others across the North West.
“The purchase of the Florida Sunset roses is just one way that people can support our work,” Ian added. “When we launched the garden, for example, we knew that with the huge number of visitors that MediaCity has every year, there was a real opportunity to Spread the Word in a simple but effective way.
“If even one person visiting sees the signs when admiring the beautiful flowers and remembering Dianne and goes to see their GP as a result, then that would be amazing.
“People often dismiss symptoms or put off going to the doctor, and sadly that can mean that if ovarian cancer is found then outcomes could be much worse.
“Early diagnosis is key to more positive outcomes for this disease so I’d urge everyone to take a moment to get to know the symptoms and get checked if you don’t feel right. It could literally save your life.
“We want families to have more time together than we had with our amazing Dianne.”
To find out how to buy your own Florida Sunset Rose – with £1 from every purchase going to the Dianne Oxberry Trust - click here.
For more information on the signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer, visit the Dianne Oxberry Trust.
