Impact data and claims within this report are provided by the project creator and have not been independently verified by Spacehive.
Help me transform a derelict shop in Barnet into a community florist and learning centre where I can sell otherwise wasted flowers to those who can least afford them and promote zero waste management.
Pledges will only be charged if the project hits its funding goal of £70,681 by 17 Dec 2018
The perfect shop space has been found & part of this crowdfunding campaign is to raise funds for the deposit required to secure the shop. If the space cannot be secured, we will seek an alternative space within Barnet & keep all backers up to date. Since Autumn 2016 I’ve been working as the Flower Bank from my kitchen table & I’ve now outgrown it. I collect unbought & otherwise wasted flowers donated by supermarkets & other organisations and re-cycle them to: Run activities in dementia units, mental health recovery programmes & affordable housing for the elderly. Make weekly arrangements for.community groups in Barnet and Haringey with the help of Young Offenders. Create funeral designs for those whose budgets are tight. As The Flower Bank's reputation is spreading I need premises which will become a genuine community hub for floral training, re-skilling & produce exchange where I will be able to work with volunteers & young offenders making sales directly to the public.
What we'll deliver:
Why it's a great idea:
This project is unique no-one else is working with supermarkets to help reduce their floral waste in a positive way for the benefit of the community. Working with flowers is incredibly therapeutic. The scent and colour of the flowers have helped evoke positive memories for the dementia patients I run activities with. Young Offenders have developed a new sense of calmness and learned a new set of skills. Feedback from people with mental health issues reveals that their experience has boosted their self esteem and mood. Realising the Flower Bank Hub will be the next step in the development of this project. I envisage that the hub will become a community asset and centre of creativity for N11. The proposed shop is perfectly located midway between the boroughs of Barnet and Haringey and will serve both existing clients and win a whole new audience. It will tap into the growing community spirit in Friern Barnet and bring fresh ideas and energy to the area.
Steps to get it done:
Gallery
Location Barnet
About the space
I work in the boroughs of Barnet and Haringey
Council
London Borough of Barnet
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Journey
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Whoop, 140 people have pledged since fundraising began!
I must add thanks to Friern Barnet Educational Trust who kindly pledged £3,000 to the crowdfunding campaign earlier in the week. A rough back of the fag packet calculation - I think we’re short by £15,000 - I’ve tweeted and emailed until I’m blue in the face so please can you all re-double your efforts to spread the word. This photograph is of gypsophila grown in our garden in N15 - still blooming in November. Thank you.
This week’s been a week of highs and lows. We’ve now got a logo. On Tuesday I met Tivoli Services UK Operations Manager - his company is responsible for making all the floral designs for the banks and HQ’s at Canary Wharf. We’re going to start working together he loves the idea that re-purposed flowers from Canary Wharf are being used for the good of the community. On Wednesday I met 3 MSc Innovation & Enterprise students Raul, Dan and Carolina from Middlesex University who are going to devise procedures for The Flower Bank to measure environmental and social impact. I loved their energy and enthusiasm. On Thursday my lovely 91 year old Mum died which makes me want to make this social enterprise more of a success so I can make her proud. Ursula
Whoop, 140 people have pledged since fundraising began!
Hello The euphoria following the London Mayor’s pledge has well and truly died down and we’re now left with 44 days to raise £29K. I’m sure we can do it. Last week was Justice 2018 week so I wrote to some legal firms in Barnet to ask them for support. I sent out some social media SOS’s yesterday looking for estate agents, property developers and re-generation moguls to back The Flower Bank’s campaign - I think Friday must be a busy day in the property world because no-one got in touch! If anyone of you knows a plant loving altruistic property developer/lawyer please point them in my direction. In the run up to Christmas I’ll be available for traditional wreath making workshops please book me if you’d like to make your own. Thank you Rose for the prompt. We’ll also be holding a fundraiser nearer Christmas, more details to follow. Best wishes. Ursula
How will the money be spent?Total £70,681
Costs Breakdown
This shows how money raised for the project will be spent. These costs have been confirmed by the project's Delivery Manager and verified.
Total £70,681
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Offer somethingMy name is Ursula Stone and I created the Flower Bank whilst a mature student studying floristry at Capel Manor Horticultural College.
The Flower Bank is a social enterprise and a CIC. It was set up to help improve the life chances of specific groups such as young offenders by teaching them horticultural and social skills.
We make best use of plants and flowers donated by supermarkets to improve the areas where people live and work - focussing to date on care homes for the elderly and those with dementia. We have also created a cutting garden with the help of young offenders using the donated plants and seeds in Seven Sisters, N15. We plan to use the flowers and foliage we grow in arrangements that we make for the community.
The Flower Bank has 6 Trustees who meet quarterly and are responsible for the oversight and direction of the Flower Bank’s activities.
The Director is responsible for the day to day running of The Flower Bank and liaison with the Flower Bank’s volunteers.
We have received financial support from UnLtd, Awards for All and Barnet Council.
Project Delivery Manager: The Flower Bank The Project Delivery Manager takes legal responsibility for receiving and spending the funds raised and ensuring the project is delivered.
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