The Big Sunflower Project 2021

This time last year, I called time on the The Big Sunflower Project with a heavy heart. My little awareness project had got huge and the demand for seeds, applying for funding and distributing seeds all by myself, was at times overwhelming. However, as 2021 got underway, people began to contact me to say they still wanted to take part in the project and they were happy to buy their own seeds or plant seeds they had harvested. I could not have been more happy.

2021 was the eleventh year of The Big Sunflower Project. Participants old and new joined the project and some truly beautiful photos were shared on social media to raise awareness of centronuclear and myotubular myopathy.

If you took part in the project this year, thank you so very much, I hope you enjoyed growing your sunflowers as much I enjoyed looking at your photos and being part of the project community of sunflower growers. To date participants have joined the project from across the UK, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the USA, Costa Rica, Argentina, the Philippines, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, The Netherlands, France, Croatia, Hungary, Sweden, Austria, Lithuania, Greece, Poland and in a first for the project this year, the Middle East.

Raising awareness

The aim of The Big Sunflower Project is to raise awareness of the rare neuromuscular conditions known as centronuclear and myotubular myopathy. One of the ways the project does this is by sharing photos, another by sharing participants stories on the project website and on social media. If you have grown sunflowers with the project this year and would be willing to share your story to help raise awareness of centronuclear and myotubular myopathy, please get in touch. You can read stories from past projects below.

• Stories from our sunflower growers

If you grew sunflowers this summer but have not shared any photos it is not too late and these can still be shared on the project social media channels.

If you would like to learn about centronuclear and myotubular myopathy, you can read about the conditions below.

• Centronuclear and myotubular myopathy

The Big Sunflower Project 2022

Could you grow a sunflower to raise awareness of centronuclear and myotubular myopathy? Taking part  is easy.

1. Buy a packet of sunflower seeds.
2. Plant a seed in a sunny spot, water regularly and watch it grow.
3. Take a photo of your sunflower and share it on social media using #TheBigSunflowerProject.

If you have never grown a sunflower before but would like to give it a go, you can learn how below.

• How to grow sunflowers

Toni
December 2021

Further information

Want to learn more about The Big Sunflower Project? Further information about the project can be found on the project website and on the social media pages.