At Outside the Cave (OTC) in Edwinstowe they are – and always have been – passionate about the health benefits of being outdoors and connecting with nature. They grow lots of lovely seasonal British flowers on their allotment site and enjoy using these in workshops and at events for local people to enjoy.
The benefits of being in nature are well documented, but did you know that just five minutes spent arranging a vase of flowers can help lower blood pressure and anxiety levels? This is one of the reasons why flower workshops have always been an integral part of the services at OTC.
They have now taken this one step further by teaming up with Wild Jasmine Florist, based at Rufford Mill.
In collaboration with Outside the Cave, Wild Jasmine is offering a range of floristry workshops for service users to enjoy at Outside the Cave as well as at Rufford Mill. As a ‘pay it forward’ thank you to all their clients and customers who take part in the regular workshops and buy flowers from them, they will also run heavily subsidised workshops for those who would like to take part (especially as part of developing their own emotional and physical wellbeing), but are unable to do so due to financial difficulties.
They are also working with a team of volunteers from OTC to provide support for people in need of flowers – for example for funerals or other special events – but again are unable to pay the full price due to financial issues. They are training volunteers who will be offering a full floristry service – with their time given free of charge – to help people in challenging circumstances.
Tracey from Wild Jasmine explains: “Human beings have always had a special connection with flowers. The earliest civilisations used them in ceremonies and as gifts and this has been going on for thousands of years. We want to encourage as many people as possible to explore the joy of growing and working with flowers and don’t want anyone to miss out in these difficult times.
“We are so lucky to have a client base buying our products and booking on our courses, so this is our way of paying this forward to others who need the joy of a few hours spent learning floristry or the consolation of receiving flowers at a difficult time.”
Please get in touch with one of the team @outsidethecave or @wildjasmineflorist on Facebook or Instagram to find out more or email outsidethecave@icloud.com.