Southport Memory Quilt will be unveiled today at an Earth Day celebration in the town.
The Southport Memory Quilt, created by The Hearth CIC, has been months in the making. Funded by Sefton CVS as part of The Hearth Network’s community wellbeing programme, residents were invited to share their memories of Southport — stories of this town, its coastline, its streets, its people.
Those memories were brought to life in a series of creative workshops, stitched into fabric squares made entirely from reclaimed textile waste. Together, the squares have been sewn into a large community quilt that tells the story of Southport through the hands of the people who love it.
Today (Sunday 26th April 2026), the finished quilt will be on display for the first time at The Big Onion, in the Town Hall Gardens on Lord Street, alongside a textile waste craft table, handmade products from The Hearth’s regular Stitching Together workshops, refreshments, and live music. Entry is free and everyone is welcome.
At 1pm, The Hearth Network is hosting an Earth Day Peace Circle — a gentle gathering of somatic grounding, music, poetry and quiet reflection, open to people of all ages, backgrounds and beliefs.
In the circle, a poem will be read on behalf of Sylvia Miley — an 86-year-old lifelong Southport resident and member of the local Bahá’í community.
Sylvia’s parents were Victorian, and she has watched this town change across almost a century of living.
Unable to join us in person, her words will still be present. In her wisdom she carries a simple, profound belief: that peace, unity and the oneness of humanity are the way forward. That respect for each other and for the earth are not ideals for the future — they are values to live by today.
Also woven into the circle will be the voices of Southport’s Girl Guides, who marked Earth Day at their meeting on Wednesday 22nd April by writing their answers to two questions:
“One thing I love about the natural world is…”
“One thing I want to protect for the future is…”
Their words will be read aloud as the voice of the next generation — the oldest and youngest voices of Southport, held together in the same circle.
On the day, Southport will also have its say to the wider world. The Hearth Network is hosting an Earth Day Ledger — a community book in which residents are invited to write three messages: a message to the earth, a message to local government, and a message to world leaders. Southport’s voices, recorded and heard.
This year’s Earth Day theme carries a message from Kathleen Rogers, President of earthday.org, that feels particularly fitting:
“Small actions done together create a force for good.”
The Hearth directors Rebecca Armstrong and Nadia Speers-Robinson said:
“After months of stitching stories, sharing memories, and sewing together moments of love, laughter and local pride, we are so proud, and a little bit emotional, to finally celebrate the completion of the Southport Memory Quilt – a beautiful, collective artwork made possible by so many hands and hearts
“We’d love you to come and see all this hard work in person.
“As well as viewing the quilt, there’ll be a free bunting-making workshop for those who fancy getting creative, and of course there will be plenty of homemade cakes and good cups of tea, because no community celebration would be complete without them!
“Pop in, take your time, bring a friend, and help us celebrate the stories that make Southport what it is.
“We can’t wait to welcome you.”
The Hearth CIC is a community organisation based in Sefton that hosted its first big event, Earth Day, at Wayfarers Arcade in Southport in April 2025.
This free, family-friendly event celebrated sustainability and empowered attendees with practical ways to save money on energy bills while making a positive impact on the planet.
Plans are already underway to create an even bigger Earth Day event for 2026 as well as for another Great Big Green Lunch.
For more information visit The Hearth Facebook page and The Hearth Southport on Instagram or email: [email protected] or [email protected]
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