I was amazed to discover that 2 years ago today I reached my funding target for The Flower Bank, thanks to you. I can’t quite believe just how much we’ve managed to achieve in those 2 years and how we’ve turned my dreams into a reality. I really couldn’t be more proud of what we’ve managed to achieve, the friendships we’ve forged, the community we’ve created and the customers we’ve served. Honourable mentions must go to my sister and husband for their generous support, Julie Wiater for her empathy and fantastic floristry skills, Naomi, Katie & Wai who inject me with energy and enthusiasm, Helen Harte for being a total mensch Paula my neighbour who during the first lockdown continually lifted my spirits and Mauva. Last week I discovered that we’ve received lottery funding to continue our online floristry classes in partnership with Barnet’s Health & Well-being Hub and the Chinese Mental Health Association, part of the money from the bid will pay for us to become an AQA assessment centre which means we’ll be able to issue certificates of achievement to people who learn with The Flower Bank, which is wonderful. Last Tuesday I was contacted by 2 relatives of the late Ann Syrad. Ann had been a NAFAS flower arranger and keen florist and her daughter asked that in lieu of funeral flowers donations be sent to The Flower Bank to enable us to continue our work - I was extremely humbled. Tomorrow, Monday 18 September (Blue Monday) is officially the world’s most depressing day so we’ll be flower bombing Sebright Road in High Barnet it feels positive and besides we couldn’t find a Glum Avenue or Melancholia Lane. Have a great week Ursula

It’s the first week in January so our online activities have started again, in case you’re wondering I’m able to continue to collect the flowers from the supermarkets (and there are a lot) as they’re for a charitable purpose. Unlike the previous lockdown I’m based at the shop running zoom workshops, taking orders for customers to collect or be delivered. The attached photograph is from a student from my fortnightly Friday floristry session which I run for Barnet Health & Well-being Hub/Chinese Mental Health Association and which re-started on Friday. These online sessions which began 10 months ago and resembled an episode of the Generation Game are now a joy to run and is learning at its best, my students have progressed well and gained some wonderful floristry skills. We spent the end of our last session talking about what we could do to celebrate Chinese New Year, it’s the Year of the Pig. Unfortunately 2 of my students had COVID which was sobering and very scary as they’re both young and fit and had been wiped out by the illness so please stay safe. On Tuesday I’m preparing flowers for the funeral of a Chelsea fan and postman - the family had wanted me to do a post box but settled on a wreath in Chelsea colours when I told them that the post box would be out of their budget of £25. Any bunches of flowers I’m unable to use I give to Sam, a local carer and Barnet stalwart who gives the bunches of flowers to the elderly residents she visits and who love receiving them. Stay safe and please keep in touch. Ursula x

Happy New Year and I hope you’re keeping well. On New Year’s Day I was feeling rather maudlin not sure how The Flower Bank could continue to operate under the current Tier 4 conditions - all the markets that we attend have been cancelled for January and florists are not deemed essential. Two messages then jolted me from my melancholia. The first from Lady Sarah Cohen House was to confirm a new zoom class for their residents and the second was from a panicked daughter in need of an emergency bouquet to be delivered for her mother’s birthday the next morning. I had no flowers but fear not M&S Brent Cross did not disappoint as they had 6 groaning trolley loads waiting for me! Once I’d delivered the bouquet there were lots of flowers left so yesterday I did some New Year flower bombing and today I’m making a few bouquets for people recovering from Covid. I’ve more flowers to collect from M&S this morning the flowers are Spring flowers such as tulips and narcissus which fill me with such positivity. I’ll be working from the shop so if you need any flowers you can drop by, phone, text or message but have you ever considered a flower subscription? For just £10 you can get a fresh bunch of flowers delivered to your door and you can decide on the frequency of deliveries, most of our customers get between 1 - 2 weeks life from our flowers. We make our deliveries on Thursdays which include customers in Wood Green and Muswell Hill. During these tough times we’d appreciate any support or recommendations that you might be able to give us, have a great week. Best wishes. Ursula .

I hope you’re safe and well and managed to enjoy Christmas in some shape. My daughters’ short lived craze this Christmas was for bendy candles, think Uri Geller, it was a phenomenon they’d spotted on Tik Tok. Tik Tok really has been my best friend this year as they’ve kept my aforementioned daughters amused for hours. We’ve got lots of plans for 2021 including running a street market in New Barnet and a bulb show for later in the year involving local primary schools. More of that in due course but for now I’d like to thank you for your continued support and interest and wish you well for 2021.

“Your area is now in Tier 4” were the words my app greeted me with this morning and it’s difficult to know what more to say. Our lives have been curtailed yet again - I’ve still got orders waiting to be collected and funeral flowers to get ready for a funeral on Tuesday but all of this seems pretty trivial in the scheme of things. Earlier this week I had the pleasure of running a workshop with children from The Southover School and this wreath was created by one of their students. I love it and if ever we needed love it’s now. Take Care. Ursula and I’m sending Big Love to everyone this Christmas.

On Thursday evening after a week of endless wreath making I drove into town - something I haven’t done since lockdown. I was collecting flowers from a Karen Millen/Coast bridesmaid shoot at Perseverance Works, Hackney. My first job on arrival in London was at The British Museum’s outstation in Hoxton. Artefacts from Captain Cook’s voyages to Australia and other items too large to house at the main Museum in WC1 were stored there. The area 30 years ago was in dire need of love so I was looking forward to my trip down memory lane. I discovered that Hoxton really had been gentrified and I suddenly felt my age. I was really honoured to collect buckets of gorgeous blooms in vibrant oranges and pinks and couldn’t believe my luck to spot burnt orange ranunculus and pink Nerini. I decided to photograph the journey of these gorgeous blooms and posted to Instagram -Karen Millen is going to do a feature on us too which is wonderful. Safely back at the shop the flowers were then turned into 30 bunches of flowers for clients of Chipping Barnet’s Foodbank to collect on Saturday morning. Julie and Wai’s hands made light work of the flowers so thank you to them. The conversations and banter that we have during these bouquet making sessions are wide reaching and I’m really keen to start a podcast “Tales from The Flower Bank” to catch these intimate moments. Anyway I digress, the bouquets were dropped off with The Foodbank and the feedback I’ve received so far is that they cheered everyone up. If anyone has a spare couple of hours one morning I’m looking for help with picking up flowers from Brent Cross M&S. Have a great week and thanks for your support. Ursula

Yesterday was “Small Business Saturday” when Barnet Council launched its shop local campaign and I’m delighted to announce that I’m the face of New Barnet. To celebrate Small Business Saturday we held a craft fair to support local artists and thanks must go to my. amazing volunteers Julie, Anna and Wai, the lovely stallholders and everyone who turned up to support us and made it such a special afternoon. The jam jar competition was also judged and I’m ashamed to admit that I was placed first in the adult section. There was a 3-way tie for first in the children’s section and selection boxes are being despatched to the winners. The holly wreaths won’t make themselves so I must get cracking, have a great week. Ursula

Last Monday I received my first Flower Bank merchandise, some customised hoodies for me and my volunteers - I haven’t taken mine off yet. I discovered the new branding marks me out anywhere and at any time so goodbye early morning dishevelled dashes to collect flowers from M&S. On Tuesday Postcode Films followed me to film my typical day - it’s for a review of the most interesting crowdfunding projects from the last 5 years for the London Mayor’s Office. I was asked about my crowdfunders, all 205 of you and I told Postcode Films how grateful I was for your support. Your validation was vital to my success it empowered me and my idea so thank you. December 1st marks our first anniversary at the shop, so on Saturday 5 December which is co-incidentally small business Saturday we’re holding a COVID safe Christmas craft fair and wreath making event outside and inside the shop from 12 - 5 and it would be lovely to see you. The jam jar competition is in full swing and will be judged next Saturday by Avril an official Church of England flower arranger and in normal times one of the people who creates the wreath at St Paul’s Cathedral. If you have a jam jar to enter please bring it to the shop. Happy crafting. Ursula

Last Sunday Ella (my younger daughter) and I delivered some plants to some vulnerable and isolated members of the Barnet community as part of Mitzvah Day. We were thrilled on our travels to meet Peggy, who at 97 is still driving and shopping for herself and as we left was about to settle down to an episode of The Crown on Netflix - she was a complete inspiration. We’re continuing with the Mitzvah project donating plants weekly to Age UK and The Good Neighbours project who are both doing amazing work in Barnet. Jam Jar entries are starting to trickle in and here are 2 entries we received this week. They’re all on display in the shop window if you’d like to have a look! Finally we made our first festive wreath yesterday afternoon accompanied by Heart Christmas radio tunes we really got into the spirit. Thank you Naomi for all your help yesterday you were amazing. Have a great week. Ursula

Last Friday 13th was World Kindness Day and I was visited by the Worshipful Mayor Councillor Stock and Councillor Sara Conway from Burnt Oak for the launch of “Bringing smiles to your door”. This initiative in conjunction with Age UK, JAMI, Good Neighbours and JOY is about delivering plants and bulbs to isolated and vulnerable members of the Barnet community during this lockdown. Whilst here the worshipful Mayor kindly oversaw the collection by Colindale Food Bank of our warm coats for them. Over 30 donated coats were handed over and Lisa from Colindale Food Bank said “These coats will make such a difference to our families so please let everyone know that we’re delighted”. Coat Collections for Colindale Foodbank are ongoing so don’t worry if you missed this collection as we’re taking donations of warm coats throughout this winter. Later on Friday afternoon I had a visit from 2 members of New Priority a boyband created by BBC TV for Little Mix the Search - they needed a bouquet of flowers for Little Mix as they were hosting dinner for them. My 12 year old daughter was genuinely star struck, despite one of the boys Adam being a friend of ours, and I didn’t fare much better curtseying I’m sure when they left. Yesterday I launched our Christmas competition to celebrate both the 1 year anniversary at Leicester Road and Small Business Saturday on 5 December. The competition is to decorate a jam jar in a Christmas style largely prompted by Katy Staton’s generous donation of 40+ jam jars on Friday then when done simply upload the image of your jam jar on Instagram using #jamjarjoy by 4 December and the mystery judge will do the rest - the winner will be announced on Saturday 5 December. And finally ..... today is Mitzvah Day so the starstruck 12 year old and I will be distributing plants and flowers to vulnerable members in the East & New Barnet area as nominated by you and as part of “Delivering smiles to your door”. Have a great week. Ursula x