The world’s biggest floristry competition, The Interflora World Cup, is taking place 7th-9th September at Manchester Central.
Following the competition, the flowers from the contestants’ elaborate displays are being donated to St Ann’s Hospice as part of the event’s commitment to sustainability.
With thousands of flowers in need of a home, St Ann’s Hospice are running a flower sale with the donated stock to be sold the day after the event. This will be taking place in Manchester Central on Sunday 10th September, 12-4pm.
The theme for the Interflora World Cup this year is sustainability, with lots of natural materials being used across the weekend, as the competition shows ‘our natural world’.
There will be over 75,000 stems donated to St Ann’s Hospice, that they will be selling for a fraction of the price they are worth to raise money to care for local people affected by life-limiting illnesses. You’ll be able to take home your very own piece of World Cup floristry from the sale, with peonies, roses, hydrangeas and lots of other bargain blooms available.
Funds raised at the event will be going towards St Ann’s Hospice’s Build It Together campaign, which is raising the final £2 million that the charity needs to build a much-needed new hospice in Heald Green, Stockport.
This will replace their current Victorian building which is in urgent need of replacement as there are continual and costly repairs. The current building is no longer fit for purpose and presents a real risk to the future of St Ann’s Hospice.
The Build It Together campaign, which launched in June 2022, has already raised nearly £700,000 and St Ann’s is urging people across Greater Manchester to get involved. To find more information on how you can help St Ann’s Hospice with their Build It Together appeal, see their website here.
The World Cup takes place every four years, with the best in the floristry industry gathering from 20 countries all competing against each other.
Erica Nicholson, Senior Brand Manager at Interflora, says: “Manchester’s vibrancy and creative energy makes it the ideal home for the Interflora World Cup as it comes to the UK for the very first time.
“The event will see over 200,000 stems being used by our florists and so there will be an abundance of blooms for people to take home and enjoy, all while making a real difference to the local community by supporting St Ann’s Hospice in its latest fundraising drive.”
Rachel McMillan, CEO of St Ann’s Hospice, says: “We are delighted to have been chosen by the Interflora World Cup and Manchester Central to have the flowers from the event donated to us which will enable us to sell them to raise money for our hospice.
“We are in desperate need of donations for our Build It Together campaign that will enable us to continue to provide the much-needed specialist care to the people of Greater Manchester for generations to come. By having a brand new hospice we can be here for those people who need us.”
The flowers will be sold by St Ann’s in Manchester Central, with the Confetti Club also taking some of the flowers that can’t be sold and turning them into biodegradable confetti.
Shaun Hinds, CEO at Manchester Central, says: “We are so proud to be hosting the UK’s first Interflora World Cup at Manchester Central this month, and we are even more delighted to be supporting them and our charity of the year St Ann’s Hospice with the Flower Sale on Sunday 10 September.
“It will be a fantastic event and we encourage everyone to visit the sale and support this wonderful cause.”
