OUR STORY

WHY I FOUNDED FLOURISH...
 

I founded Flourish because I believe creativity has the power to change how people feel about themselves, each other and the places they live - and that opportunity shouldn't be determined by your income, background or postcode.

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As a child, I loved making things, but money for art materials at home was limited. My Mum was amazing. We cut up old magazines, saved cardboard and found creative uses for countless toilet rolls. At school, inspiring teachers recognised my imagination and encouraged it. Their belief in me helped turn creativity from something I loved into a career that has spanned more than twenty years across interiors, fashion, television and events.

As my career developed, I became increasingly aware that not everyone is given the same encouragement, access or opportunity. Creative subjects are being squeezed in schools, materials can be expensive and too many people grow up believing that creativity, art and design simply aren't for them. At the same time, perfectly usable resources are discarded while schools, community organisations and individuals struggle to access what they need.

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I also began to think differently about the spaces in which everyday life happens. As a mother, I've spent my fair share of time in hospitals and doctors' surgeries (as one of my children is a type 1 diabetic), and I found myself looking at faded, impersonal surroundings and imagining how differently those places could make people feel.

Our surroundings influence us. Thoughtful design, colour and creativity cannot solve every problem, but they can help reduce anxiety, encourage connection, lift spirits and make people feel welcomed, valued and that they belong. Appearing on BBC One's Interior Design Masters brought many of these ideas into sharper focus. I realised I wanted to use my experience not simply to create beautiful spaces, but to help improve the places where everyday life happens - and, importantly, to involve the people who use them in shaping what those places become.

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That belief became Flourish.

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We are a not-for-profit Community Interest Company (limited by guarantee) that designs for social good, using creativity and design as tools to strengthen communities. We work alongside residents, local organisations and partners to transform shared spaces, create opportunities for people to participate and connect, deliver accessible creative programmes and redistribute art, craft and design resources so that more people can take part. Our work is about more than making something look better or delivering a creative activity. It's about creating places where people feel ownership and belonging, building confidence and skills, bringing different parts of a community together and leaving behind something that continues long after a project has finished.

Because creativity isn't an extra or a luxury - It is a powerful tool for connection, wellbeing, opportunity and positive change.

 

We believe everyone should have the chance to Flourish.

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