FAMILY-RUN online florist Bunches marked the end of 2022 by giving bouquets to staff at a hospital and donating £500-worth of essential items to a nearby foodbank.

The business delighted staff at King’s Mill Hospital, Sutton with the fresh flowers before supporting the foodbank based at St John’s Church, Kirkby Woodhouse.

Dani Turner, customer experience director at Bunches, said: “Supporting the community is important to us, as is donating to charity, because we’ve always given a minimum of 10% of our profits away to charities to help make a difference.

“We thought a great way to wrap up 2022 would be to give back to local NHS staff who continue to work so hard, especially during a turbulent winter, by donating beautiful bouquets to brighten their day.

“It was lovely to see the reactions from staff and we’re now focused on other means to continue giving back throughout this year.

“The delivery wouldn’t have been possible without the help of another local business, Alltruck, which supported us by lending their lorry free-of-charge for the special occasion.”

The director of Strategy and Partnerships at King’s Mill, David Ainsworth, said: “I want to say a huge personal thank you to Bunches for making a really valuable contribution to the hospital and our staff.

“It’s been a tough time and the NHS has been very busy, so the flowers have made a huge difference and brought smiles to all our staff at a time when they need it most.”

Bunches also donated £500-worth of toiletries, food, and seasonal treats to support its local foodban, which has experienced increased demand.

Bunches shares a minimum of 10 per cent of its profits to charitable causes in the UK every year and as the cost-of-living crisis deepens, its donation will reach more local people in need than ever before.

Elaine Moulton, chair of trustees at St John’s Church, added: “On behalf of the trustees, volunteers, and in particular from our service users, we would like to send our sincere thanks to Bunches for the most generous donation of much-needed items for our foodbank.

“As Bunches witnessed when they dropped off its donations, it was really busy and topped the numbers we’ve helped in a long time. This gives an indication as to what a challenging time our service users are facing.”

Bunches has been providing the nation with ethical flowers, plants, and gifts since its humble beginnings selling flowers at Mansfield market in 1989.