Sustainability: Floral arrangements from Pinstripes and Peonies

Ever wonder what happens to those wonderful creations that pop up every so often in the Crypt at a corporate event?

As part of our ongoing work around sustainability at the Cathedral, this week our Corporate Events Manager Nicholas Salmon explains the approach of one of our approved florists, Pinstripes and Peonies.

Sometimes guests take the flowers home to enjoy; some are sadly damaged in transit and so they go into compost. When ready, the compost will be used by Herbert Morrison School in Vauxhall for their growing programme.*

The rest – around 65% of Pinstripes and Peonies’ flowers – go to Floral Angels. Ruari McCulloch, founder and owner of Pinstripes and Peonies, is a trustee of Floral Angels, and also provides them with space to work in their offices rent free. 

Floral Angels receive flowers from florists all over London and remake/restyle them into arrangements that they deliver to hospices and palliative care homes such as Maggie’s Cancer Centre and Trinity Hospice. This helps to spread the joy and love of flowers a little further. 

Nicholas says,

‘Flowers make people smile, and I am delighted to know that through the Corporate Events at St Paul’s, we are not just helping maintain the building, we are in part making a difference to other people’s lives in sharing the beauty, colour and fragrance of flowers.’ 

To date Floral Angels have delivered around 44,000 bouquets to care homes, hospices, shelters and more. 

In 1860, Florence Nightingale wrote,

‘I shall never forget the rapture of fever patients over a bunch of bright coloured flowers. I remember (in my own case) a nosegay of wildflowers being sent to me from that moment recovery becoming more rapid.’

*Pinstripes lost their market garden in February of this year and so they decided to use the money that was previously spent on it and instead see if they could help make a difference in their local area, by working with Herbert Morrison School in Vauxhall. 

In the short term they want to bring the garden/ grounds of the school up to a standard that then can be fully used by the children. In the medium term they are hoping to be involved in creating specific areas in the school helping to bring nature into the classroom. The long term plan is to be able to roll this out to another school. Pinstripes also provide a gardening team on a fortnightly basis, and buy soil, tools and plants  - and they also help other schools on an ad-hoc basis.

When Pinstripes have plants that are leftover, they donate them to Thrive, a local charity to Vauxhall that uses gardening to bring about positive changes in the lives of people living with disabilities or ill health, or those who are isolated, disadvantaged or vulnerable.  

New colleague welcome

Mel Fleming, Corporate Events Assistant

'Hello everyone, my name is Mel Fleming, and I'm the new full time Corporate Events Assistant, proudly working alongside Nicholas Salmon in the Corporate Events team.

A graduate from Falmouth University, I was inspired to pursue a career in events because of the endless opportunities to bring people together and create cherished experiences. Prior to St Paul’s, I was the Events Assistant at Truro City Council in sunny Cornwall. I was responsible for organising civic and community events, managing event bookings for the main outdoor event space in the city, and assisting with making Truro a better place to live, work and visit, by building working relations with local stakeholders, businesses, residents, and visitors.

In my free time I can be found attending theatre and drag shows. I would like to say thank you to those who I have met for warmly welcoming me to the Cathedral in my first week. I look forward to meeting everyone else!'

Farewell to Liam O'Driscoll, Visitor Engagement Programme Manager

Today we say farewell to Liam O'Driscoll, Visitor Engagement Programme Manager in the Visitor Engagement team. Over the past few months, Liam has worked hard on events and activities centred around Wren 300, and will shortly moving to an exciting new role in community engagement and communications. Thank you so much Liam, you will be missed!