BROADSTONE & CORFE MULLEN FLORAL DECORATION SOCIETY

Certainly from the point of view of a flower arranger, Broadstone is a cultural oasis. Some 28 years ago the late Mrs Evelyn Carnegie Brown, a resident of Broadstone, was asked to form a floral society as it was felt one was very much needed in this Area. To test the interest of the villagers, Evelyn gave a floral demonstration in St. Johns Church Hall on 4th May 1976 and following its success the Broadstone and Corfe Mullen Floral Decoration Society was formed. The club is just one of twenty eight in the Dorset and Guernsey Area of NAFAS (the National Association of Flower Arrangement Societies) whose founder was Mrs Mary Pope of Dorchester. The Association has twenty one areas throughout Great Britain.

The aims of NAFAS are to advance public education in the art of flower arranging and related subjects and to demonstrate their decorative value; to instruct train and qualify judges, demonstrators, teachers and speakers in order to raise the standard of work throughout the Country and to assist worthy causes and charities by organising exhibitions and competitions.

Broadstone and Corfe Mullen Floral Decoration Society holds monthly meetings in the Corfe Mullen Village Hall on the second Tuesday of each month, where members watch floral demonstrations and learn all aspects of arranging flowers, together with horticultural advice on the plant material being used.

Over the years, some of our members have qualified to become demonstrators, judges, and teachers. Others have helped decorate churches and country houses, including Wimborne Minster and Westminster Abbey. It holds its own competitive show annually, when members of the public may witness for themselves the talent in their midst. The Dorset and Guernsey Area also arranges a show each year when members from all the clubs in the Area can compete against one another.

Each year the Society supports a different local charity or good cause. Last year they gave a donation to Wimborne Hospital.

There is no doubt that flower arranging is an art form and that techniques and designs have changed since those early days, but who can resist the pleasure that flowers give either in our homes or as a gift to others, especially if they are arranged in an attractive or unusual way.

As a newcomer to Broadstone in 1980 the flower club opened up new opportunities for me. Not only did I learn a new skill but I learned so much about Dorset and the people of Broadstone, its flora and fauna, and a chance to visit some of the beautiful churches in hidden away villages.

Denise Pharaoh, Member of Broadstone and Corfe Mullen Floral Decoration Society, and President of the Dorset and Guernsey Area of NAFAS.

Archive Summer 2004 | next

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