A talented volunteer has stepped in to give Sue Ryder's beloved mascot, Starry, a brand new lease of life.

When the much-loved mascot began to show its age, Lynne Darlow, a long-time supporter of Sue Ryder St John’s Hospice, was quick to offer her help and give Starry a fresh new look.

Lynne, a retired Deputy Headteacher and resident of Sandy, has been volunteering at the hospice for several years, helping with everything from marshalling events to community fundraisers. It was during a volunteer get together at the hospice, that Lynne heard a member of staff talking about the sorry state of the existing costume.

“I overheard someone saying the old Starry was falling apart, and couldn’t be cleaned,” Lynne recalls. “So, I said, ‘That’s not a problem - I’ll make a new one!’”

The staff at Interfoam were happy to help.

placeholder image — The staff at Interfoam were happy to help.

Despite no formal costume-making experience, Lynne was determined to find a way to assemble a new Starry costume.

“I’m not really crafty,” she shared. “I’ve done a little sewing in the past, and now I’m retired, I do make and design pieces of jewellery and stained glass. So, I do like to create things.”

Lynne’s first hurdle was finding the right foam to build Starry’s 3D structure. Luckily, Bedford-based company Interfoam stepped in, generously sourcing and providing the foam at no cost and cutting the shapes to match the existing template. Lynne then purchased vibrant yellow and blue fabrics, added felt features for Starry’s cheerful face, and stitched it all together – despite a few challenges along the way.

Lynne shared: “My original sewing machine had to go to the tip, so I ended up borrowing one from the Arts and Craft Centre in Bedford. There were certainly challenges along the way, but I overcame them!”

The new Starry costume is washable and features a removable back secured with Velcro. By carefully dismantling the original, Lynne was also able to clean and restore it - meaning the hospice now has two Starry costumes ready for action.

“Volunteering is about giving something back,” Lynne says. “It’s about working together with other people in teams and making a difference.

“With Starry, I saw a need and thought, ‘No one’s going to do anything about it, but I can.’ If I hadn’t, Starry might have disappeared, and that would’ve been such a shame. Children love high fiving him at events, and this year’s Sue Ryder Starlight Hike Bedford just wouldn’t be the same without him.”

Roisin Duggan, Community Fundraiser at Sue Ryder St John’s Hospice, said: “We’re so grateful to Lynne for putting the sparkle back into Starry – such a popular and cherished member of the Sue Ryder team. And a huge thank you to Interfoam for their generosity. Support from the local community means the world to us.”

You can meet the sparkling new Starry at this year’s Sue Ryder Starlight Hike Bedford, which kicks off at 5.30pm at Everard Meadow on Saturday 11 October 2025. The event gives Bedfordshire residents the chance to come together for a heart-warming evening of remembrance and fundraising under the stars.