SCF Founder, Candy Connolly is interviewed about Sustainable Church Flowers.

So how did the Sustainable Church Flowers Movement it start?
I am a churchwarden in a small rural Church in Worcestershire. In 2015 my husband, Shane Connolly, raised the issue of flower management in our church. How sustainable where we?
After discussion and explanation, the church flower team agreed to stop using floral foam, and try also to use more flowers from their gardens. It was actually easier than many anticipated. In 2018 we applied for Eco-church status and demonstrated our eco-friendly management of flowers in our church. This undoubtedly assisted us in gaining Silver status. So we realized this could, and should, be taken further and tried to encourage neighbouring Churches to do the same.
In 2019 we launched Sustainable Church Flowers with a lecture and demonstration, given by Shane, in St Peter’s Church Martley for the West Worcester Rural Team including members of the Worcester Cathedral Guild. The movement was launched.

Who is involved?
Shane Connolly, co-founder, with Candy Connolly, Warden of St Bartholomew’s Church, Harpley, Worcestershire; Kate Hurst, a flower grower and designer and Shelsley Church flower leader; Dot Millward, Harpley Church flower leader; Rev. Jen Denniston, our vicar; Dr Jill Timms from the University of Surrey and Co-Lead of the Sustainable Flowers Research Project also joined the committee, as our Academic Advisor, Fr Benji Tyler, Vicar of Chippenham St Andrew, Wiltshire takes a lead on web and publicity design; and Lay Reader Jill Smith.

What are the objectives?
To Glorify God sustainably and fulfil the 5th mark of mission of the Church to respect God’s creation.

Who is your audience?
The Church of England Churches, and other religious organisations and denominations.

What are sustainable Church Flowers?
Flower decoration in churches and Churchyards that does not harm the planet, so with emphasis on no floral foam, and minimal carbon footprint i.e. local and seasonal flowers.

What sort of information are you trying to communicate with your audience?
Source flowers from your own gardens, window boxes, churchyards and hedgerows and locate nearest growers from the national organisation of Flowers from the Farm.
Arrange in water, chicken wire and vessels, eliminate use of floral foam.
Make sure that visiting florists are made aware of your policies, arrange in a sustainable way in your church, and are helped and educated too if needs be.

How do you communicate your messages/objectives to your audience? 
Demonstrations, workshops, webpage with demonstration videos and facts and technique support; as of spring 2025 the SCF Instagram has over 5000 followers and each week a member of the team or an ambassador takes responsibility for posting;
SCF Ambassadors offer workshops and demonstrations, Zoom Q&A with Shane Connolly including demonstrations.

Also, many SCF supporters just use word of mouth to encourage other churches to embrace our principles. These simple conversations can lead to big changes, for example when the Diocesan Synod of Oxford voted to encourage all of the 808 churches in Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire to make the sustainable switch.