Our Gin Botanical's Evening For Brian House Children's Hospice with Bite Club & Manchester Gin Images by James Jebson Photography
Last Wednesday we hosted an evening of Fresh Flower Gin Botanicals for Brian House Children's Hospice so far our total raised stands at £1700 (We were aiming for £2k) if you would like to make a donation here's the link to our Just Giving Page. Brian House is an amazing place which not only serves our community but their love and care stretch up as far as Lancaster, they care for some very poorly children and offer support to their families, it really is a huge privilege and is in fact humbling to be able to offer them our support. We have a number of events planned all designed to raise funds for this massively worthy cause, so if you missed out on this one perhaps you could sponsor our team running in the Windmill 10K, or you could sign up for our FD Bake Off Extravaganza 2017 on 29th November or join in one of our Wreath Making & Garland Work Shops in December Just email me for more information jane@flowerdesign.co.uk.
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As with all of the fund raising we do, we had a huge amount of help from loads of our friends, we really couldn't do it without them, we are always grateful but this particular event was ambitious even by our FD Events Team's standards and 'thank you' never really seems enough!!! but here goes...
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Our amazing team;
Our Vicky has been with me from the start and together we've been doing these fund raising events for almost 30 years (28 years to be exact), never has a year gone by in all of that time that we haven't 'done' something for charity and there have been so many times over the years when I have asked her to go above and beyond in pursuit of 'dosh' for a worthy cause, she has always without exception 'stepped up to the plate' and for that, her organisation, hard work, diligence & her continued loyalty I am immensely grateful.
Our Shirl, for over 20 years she's provided a level head, kept our standards incredibly high, never questioned my ridiculous suggestions and accepted the ensuing chaos with dignity, this last week was no exception and I feel calmer knowing she's looking after the floristry, designs and our creativity.
Our Chloe, with just less than 2 years of FD service under her belt, we all feel she's been with us forever, she quietly and calmly 'gets on with it' turns her hand to everything and anything, including Gin pouring, flower demonstrating, running the 10K and baking cakes, she's becoming the most beautiful florist too and we all feel very proud of her progress.
If I'm absolutely honest the lynch pin to it all is of course my better half Jason, running up to one of these events, he makes sure I sleep, I eat, I keep laughing, he takes away my anxiety and gives me the confidence to believe we can do it!!! (He also drives me a little crazy too with the whole Health and Safety & Risk Assessment stuff but someones got to do it!!!)
We are a team and that's a hugely important and very special thing, we respect one another, we love working, playing and creating together!!!
I couldn't do this without them FACT!!!! xxxxxxxx
Then there are the great folks that join us from time to time and those who always seem to be in our corner constantly, so firstly a new comer to the FD family Seb Heeley from Manchester Gin, we needed a Gin 'expert' I wrote to over 40 Gin distilleries asking for a 'Speaker', I didn't get a single reply (Except from Bloom who said they were too busy to answer at the moment and someone would get back to me in due time, I'm still waiting 5 months later) then our Chloe went to the Manchester Gin festival and found herself at a MG Gin tasting, she sent me a text saying she'd found our man!!! I emailed him and he replied!!! a minor miracle I thought!! but it was even better than that, he did the most exceptional and inspiring talk, he generously discounted his Gin and provided us with tasting samples and a raffle prize and bought a huge number of raffle tickets too!! we really couldn't have asked for more, we are all now Manchester Gin Devotees!!
For those of you who have visited us here at FD HQ you'll know this space is usually full to bursting with flower equipment, so our first task was to clear the space, we are ridiculously lucky to have amazing neighbours, Pete and the team from Reax helped us to move all of our 'stuff' into their warehouse, I know I say this a lot but we couldn't have done it without them!!!xxx
Our dearest friends Shannon, Orrin, Lucy & Amelia from Bite Club who put on the very best Gin friendly food ever, they really did make the evening!!!! There is no doubt in my mind that we honestly couldn't have done it without them!!!xxxxx
Don't miss Bite Club's next event this Friday at a top secret location their Halloween spectacular there are few tickets available, I think xxx
The absolutely incredible wedding singer Paul Guard who not only entertained us with his Gin Palace Jazz Tunes but provided all of the staging, sound and up lighting, we couldn't have done it without him xxxx
The brilliant Gary Mills DJ and Host who really helps us to put together a coordinated performance and has our backs time and time again, we really couldn't do this without him.
The super magical Darren Robinson wedding magician who brings magic to all our events
The team from Twelve who provided such fabulous raffle prizes and all of the glasses
Matthew from Nefarious administering last minute hair and microphone assistance, they also provided a great raffle prize
Bite Club's Cucumber Cups the perfect Gin accompanyment
Janet Atkins from Brian House giving everyone an insight into the daily running and costings of this wonderful place
It really is a joy to spend an evening such as this surrounded by our FD friends & 'family', some are brand new, Brides & Grooms from recent weddings and future weddings, others have been around us for more than 25 years supporting us, giving up their time, their hard earned pennies to support the charities we hold most dear, I will always be grateful to them, these folks are the one's that make our annual endeavours work, I know I've said it a few times already but we honestly couldn't do it without them!!!xxxxxx
Seb Heeley doing his Gin thing...
Our gorgeous girl Olivia she'd designed all of our graphics and advertising material here she is with Charlie
The fabulous Peter Jackson provided Thomas Sabo raffle prizes and a whole host of help and advice in the run up to the event
Thank you to Lisa Marie Cakes for her delicious Gin & Tonic Cakes, to Booths Super markets for the Cheese to Peter H Smith for flowers, most of all though thank you to you all for your continued support it makes all of the difference!!xx
