Mum creates butterfly tribute after girl's death

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Eleanor MaslinEast Yorkshire and Lincolnshire

News image — Evelyn's Butterfly Effect was created by Evelyn Gibson's mum and stepdad after she took her own life

Family handout A teenage girl with shoulder-length blonde hair wearing a silver necklace and grey jumper smiling into the camera. She is standing in a room of the house holding up two pink balloons. One is in the shape of the number 1 and the other is in the shape of the number 5. — Evelyn's Butterfly Effect was created by Evelyn Gibson's mum and stepdad after she took her own life

The parents of a 15-year-old girl who took her own life have set up a butterfly installation to help spark conversations around suicide prevention.

Jenni and Jack Swift, from Grantham, are mum and stepdad to Evelyn Gibson, who had a history of complex mental health issues and killed herself in 2022.

Through Evelyn's Butterfly Effect, they have created Garden of Hope, which will include a display of 98 colourful steel butterflies, all representing a life taken by suicide in Lincolnshire in 2024.

Jenni said: "Talking about suicide can actually save lives and this installation is just one aspect of that to start conversations."

Jenni Swift A composite image of two photos next to each other. On the left is a painted butterfly cut-out with a light blue background, flowers and hands in the middle holding each other which reads 'together hope grows'. On the right is a dark pink painted butterfly with someone painting it and the words 'you are enough' written across it. — Communities in Lincolnshire have been painting the steel butterflies in preparation for the display

Data from the Official for National Statistics states 98 people in Lincolnshire died due to suicide in 2024, according to records from local councils.

In honour of Evelyn, each steel butterfly, made by Grantham Fabrication and funded by SK Community Fund, will be painted by members of the local community including pre-schools, scout groups, football clubs, and older residential communities.

The swarm of butterflies will be displayed on various dates between 15 March and 30 September at different locations in the county including Belton House, Whisby Nature Park and Grantham House.

Jenni said: "We wanted to symbolise that statistic while also communicating a message of hope and bringing together the community.

"It will look really beautiful, all these bright butterflies. We hope it intrigues people and they come closer.

"Then they will read what the installation symbolises and hopefully that's a really powerful moment for people and will get them talking."

Family handout Jenni Swift - a woman wearing a winter hat with rectangular glasses, a scarf and pink jumper smiling into the camera next to a man with short brown hair also wearing glasses. A young girl wearing all pink including a pink hat is sitting on his shoulders and smiling. — Jenni Swift hopes the display will help spark conversations about mental health and suicide prevention

An inquest held into Evelyn's death in 2024 found inadequate aftercare support contributed to the "extremely vulnerable" teenager taking her own life six weeks after being discharged from hospital.

Last year, in collaboration with CALM and ITV, Jenni and Jack created a YouTube video of Evelyn leading up to what would have been her 16th birthday in a bid to raise awareness of youth suicide in the UK.

Jenni said: "Everything we do is in honour of Evelyn.

"She said she didn't want other people going through what she went through and wanted to help others.

"It's really important to us that those conversations are had and people realise you should talk about suicide and there isn't a stigma around it."

Garden of Hope installation dates in Lincolnshire:

Belton House: 15 March to 18 April

Gunby Hall: 20 April to 9 May

Ayscoughfee Hall: 11 May to 30 May

Burghley House: 1 June to 20 June

Whisby Nature Park: 22 June to 18 July

Grantham House: 20 July to 30 September

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