A Dutch flower business near Spalding has donated 1,000 bouquets to care workers and NHS staff.
A Dutch flower business which has a factory in Moulton near Spalding has donated 1,000 bouquets to care workers, NHS staff and those in need in Lincolnshire.
Green Partners is the largest flower processing company in Europe and supplies thousands of bouquets from its site in South Holland to UK supermarkets every day.
After hearing about the Greater Lincolnshire LEP’s appeal for help to #FeedtheNation, Green Partners were keen to do something to show their support for the county's combined efforts.
Operations Manager John Berry explained: “Our Site Manager Johan ten Haken saw the call for workers to keep the food chain flowing, and wanted to bring some happiness to people’s lives at this difficult time and show both vulnerable people and frontline staff that they had not been forgotten.”
On Thursday (9th April) 500 bouquets were delivered to CRG Homecare which cares for over 400 elderly and vulnerable people in the Boston and Sleaford areas.
Jeanette Kassim, CRG Homecare Boston’s Registered Branch Manager, said: “Thank you so much for this incredibly generous donation!
“The flowers look amazing and they have brought many smiles to our service users and employees during these unprecedented and challenging times. We are overwhelmed by this act of kindness and the generosity of Green Partners – it is very much appreciated by everyone at CRG Homecare.”
A second donation of 500 bouquets will be delivered on Thursday (16th April) to staff at United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust.
Green Partners first opened its UK production facility in Moulton in 2012. Since then south Lincolnshire has become the centre of the country’s cut flower industry with nearly 19% of all English production in Lincolnshire. This rises to 30% in the wider region including the adjacent areas of Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire, where combined sales total over £320m per year.
As well as being a strategically important hub for the agri-food and food processing sector, Spalding is also the centre of UK flower and plant imports and distribution, with companies such as Green Partners, part of the Dutch Flower Group, basing their UK teams there. The National Cut Flower Centre is also based at Holbeach St Johns.
Cllr Nick Worth, Deputy Leader of South Holland District Council, said: “Green Partners at Moulton is one of the many businesses from the Netherlands with a base in south Lincolnshire and we are delighted at their show of solidarity with the people of Lincolnshire at this challenging time.
“I am sure those in our care homes and hospitals who received the bouquets will be cheered by their generosity as we all work together to fight the virus. The council welcomes the many businesses across our agriculture and food chain who have strong links to the Netherlands, and we are determined to build on these links in the future.”
Pictured is CRG Homecare worker Jamara Wright who received a free bouquet of flowers.
