'Amazing' donation of 17,000 roses boosts charity

A charity which upcycles flowers at the end of their shelf life is celebrating after receiving its biggest single donation - 17,000 white roses.

Karen Simpkin, who runs the Flower Box charity in Beverley, East Yorkshire, is selling the flowers for 25p a bunch and will be donating all funds to a variety of causes.

She said volunteers spent 11 hours getting the roses, which were donated by East Yorkshire wedding company Ambience Venue Styling, ready for sale.

"I've never had such a kind, generous donation. It's just amazing," she said.

Simpkin said they had already sold more than half of the flowers, raising hundreds of pounds for charity.

She and her team repurpose flowers from supermarkets, weddings and funerals, and make bouquets or natural confetti to sell for charity.

Funds are donated to different organisations each month, including Hull-based mental health charity Mysterious Minds, Dove House Hospice in Hull and the Teenage Cancer Trust.

Simpkin said she started the venture to "rescue" out-of-date flowers from supermarkets which would otherwise have been binned.

She said: "We're not a florist, there are some wonderful florists out there, but what we do, I hope, is unique, special and I know it's appreciated by many.

"That's what it's all about, spreading the joy of flowers and raising the money for the charities."

Simpkin added: "They've all got a story to tell, so they're all going different directions to serve a purpose."

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