Upcoming events.
New Forest Show
Time to start planning for the New Forest Show, our Hampshire county show. The schedule is attached and includes lots of great titles.
The show this year is not our Area Show, ours will be held in November, but the New Forest Show is always well supported by our members.
Members Day 2024
Members Day is our big annual get together to raise funds to help support all the training the area does.
The day starts with time to socialise as everyone gathers at the theatre building at Thornden School in Chandlers Ford. Our Area team will be one hand to welcome you.
We will have the education team led by Val Hockley talking about our training opportunities and workshops that our teachers and workshop leaders can offer.
Our media representative Frances Barnett will have details of events at local clubs and in the area and your club can also bring along leaflets to be handed out at the event.
There will be a tombola in the entrance hall with instant prizes of some really super prizes kindly donated by our members.
Your ticket entitles you to a welcome tea or coffee from the main foyer.
We then have shopping stalls with favourites like Hardy Cottage Garden Plants, Wrap Up in Style, Love is Peace, Pip Bensley Vintage Vases plus a new trader Antique Tea Cup Candles and of course Carole Norman with our Area Trading Stand.
Our speaker at 10.45 is Paul Hervey-Brookes, the RHS gold medal winning Garden Designer and Gardens Judge, writer for The Telegraph and a regular gardening partner for Viking Cruises and Brewin Dolphin . You can read about Paul here.
Lunch can either be your own packed lunch or you can order a delicious lunch from our catering partner TASTE Dining Company led by Tim and Sarah Trussler.
After lunch you have time for some last minute shopping and don’t forget to buy raffle tickets to win the flowers from the demonstration.
Our demonstrator is Jacqui Arnold from Kent. You can read about Jacqui here. Jacqui is a double RHS Gold medal winner and loves using garden plant material in both traditional work and more quirky contemporary designs.
Do come and join us, there are a few tickets still available
AGM Demonstration DAVID RAGG
This year’s demonstration will be by the much loved International Florist David Ragg. David’s inventive style and gorgeous flowers make for a very special demonstration.
David runs his own floral business and if you haven’t seen David you can read about him here.
Keep an eye out for details about how to secure your ticket very soon.
AGM and Area Council Meeting
This meeting combines two meetings. Our normal Council meeting where Club Chairmen, Area Management Team, Associates of Honour and Past Presidents meet quarterly to discuss area plans and ways of supporting clubs. Then our Area AGM which reviews the year and follows the Council Meeting. Other members are welcome.
These meetings are followed by an afternoon demonstration at 2pm. See the AGM demonstration event for tickets for the demonstration.
Area Management Team Meeting
The Area Management Team meet regularly to plan and review all the area’s activities at Colbury Hall in the Ashurst Room
Club Officers Day 2
Wessex & Jersey Area of NAFAS
CLUB OFFICERS DAYS 2023
TUESDAY 10TH OCTOBER OR TUESDAY 17TH OCTOBER 2023
9.30 for 10am start, Finish approx. 3pm
Colbury Memorial Hall, Main Road, Colbury, Hants, SO40 7EL
(Ample all day free parking)
This is a chance for your team of Club Officers (you can bring your Chairman, Treasurer, Secretary, Programme Secretary, committee members – max 4 in total over both days) to get advice and get to know the Area Management Team and plan your next steps for the club.
We are planning to get together for a welcome drink at 9.30 followed by a getting to know one another session, look at using your computer to send back forms using email, ways of forwarding emails to committee and members, how to make ends meet and getting new members - amongst other things.
The content of both days will be the same so you can all come along together or split into two groups – whichever works best for your club and your officers and committee members.
There will be plenty of time to ask questions both during the day and at the end.
The day is FREE but you need to bring your own packed lunch. Tea, coffee and biscuits will be provided for FREE throughout the day and if one or two of you are able to donate a cake (made or bought) it would be really appreciated.
We are having two days do that those who can’t make one can attend the other.
To attend please fill in the attached form and send it to Pip Bensley.
Places are allocated on a first come, first served basis.
Wessex & Jersey Area of NAFAS
CLUB OFFICERS DAYS 2023
TUESDAY 10TH OCTOBER OR TUESDAY 17TH OCTOBER 2023
9.30 for 10am start, Finish approx. 3pm
Colbury Memorial Hall, Main Road, Colbury, Hants, SO40 7EL
(Ample all day free parking)
Please apply for places by sending this form to
Pip Bensley, 24 Branksome Avenue, Upper Shirley, Southampton SO15 5NY
or emailing it to chairwessexandjerseyarea@gmail.com
Please state your club name and write clearly the names of your attendees and their position in the club.
Tuesday 10th October
Club Name………………………………………………………………………………….
Name (Christian & surname) Position Held
PLEASE USE BLOCK CAPITALS
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Tuesday 17th October
Club Name………………………………………………………………………………….
Name (Christian & surname) Position Held
PLEASE USE BLOCK CAPITALS
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First Aid Course
Gill Pelton from Salisbury Flower Club bandaging Debbie Wadge at the last course.
Are you ready for any emergency?
Our first aid course will make sure you know just what to do in any situation, when to call 999 and when to reach for the first aid kit (and what the contents do!) plus how to work a defibrillator.
It is run by the lovely Pete Hockley who is a very experienced trainer and can even cope if you don't like the sight of blood!!
The course is certificated and an essential for anyone leading a club or teaching students and is relaxed and fun too!
Contact Val Hockley here to reserve your place.
Club Officers Day 1
Wessex & Jersey Area of NAFAS
CLUB OFFICERS DAYS 2023
TUESDAY 10TH OCTOBER OR TUESDAY 17TH OCTOBER 2023
9.30 for 10am start, Finish approx. 3pm
Colbury Memorial Hall, Main Road, Colbury, Hants, SO40 7EL
(Ample all day free parking)
This is a chance for your team of Club Officers (you can bring your Chairman, Treasurer, Secretary, Programme Secretary, committee members – max 4 in total over both days) to get advice and get to know the Area Management Team and plan your next steps for the club.
We are planning to get together for a welcome drink at 9.30 followed by a getting to know one another session, look at using your computer to send back forms using email, ways of forwarding emails to committee and members, how to make ends meet and getting new members - amongst other things.
The content of both days will be the same so you can all come along together or split into two groups – whichever works best for your club and your officers and committee members.
There will be plenty of time to ask questions both during the day and at the end.
The day is FREE but you need to bring your own packed lunch. Tea, coffee and biscuits will be provided for FREE throughout the day and if one or two of you are able to donate a cake (made or bought) it would be really appreciated.
We are having two days do that those who can’t make one can attend the other.
To attend please fill in the attached form and send it to Pip Bensley.
Places are allocated on a first come, first served basis.
Wessex & Jersey Area of NAFAS
CLUB OFFICERS DAYS 2023
TUESDAY 10TH OCTOBER OR TUESDAY 17TH OCTOBER 2023
9.30 for 10am start, Finish approx. 3pm
Colbury Memorial Hall, Main Road, Colbury, Hants, SO40 7EL
(Ample all day free parking)
Please apply for places by sending this form to
Pip Bensley, 24 Branksome Avenue, Upper Shirley, Southampton SO15 5NY
or emailing it to chairwessexandjerseyarea@gmail.com
Please state your club name and write clearly the names of your attendees and their position in the club.
Tuesday 10th October
Club Name………………………………………………………………………………….
Name (Christian & surname) Position Held
PLEASE USE BLOCK CAPITALS
………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………
Tuesday 17th October
Club Name………………………………………………………………………………….
Name (Christian & surname) Position Held
PLEASE USE BLOCK CAPITALS
………………………………………………………………………………………………
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NAFAS National AGM
The beginning of last year’s AGM with Beryl Cotton compering
The virtual annual AGM of the National flower arranging charity NAFAS. Available live online via zoom (we will post the link as soon as it is issued) and available later on the NAFAS YouTube channel
Our members Mala Williams and Debbie Wadge will be honoured with their National Associate of Honour awards so do watch to give them our support.
We will also discover who is going to be appointed as President Elect.
This is an excellent chance to find out more about what NAFAS does so put the date in your diary.
Area Council Meeting
Club Chairmen, Area Management Team, Associates of Honour and Past Presidents meet quarterly to discuss area plans and ways of supporting clubs. Other members are welcome.
Teachers Refresher Day with Jane Rickard
The Area’s Teachers will be brushing up on their teaching skills with tips and techniques from National Teacher Jane Rickard.
Attendees have been asked to bring a copy of the NEW Competitions Manual plus a note book and pen. Jane will be going through all aspects of
teaching techniques with our teachers.
Do not forget to bring your lunch with you. There will be tea/coffee biscuits and Val Hockley might even make a couple of cakes, after all no study is complete without it.
We will open at 9.30 for a 10am prompt start. We are scheduled to finish by 3.30pm.
If you do not already have a copy of the NEW Competitions Manual they can be either ordered direct from the NAFAS website or through our Area Publications Officer Carole Norman.
Tickets £20 for W&J teachers, £25 for other Areas. Available from Val Hockley (Education Rep)
National Advisory Council Meeting
The quarterly meeting of all the NAFAS Area Chairmen and the Board of Trustees held via zoom.
Area Management Team Meeting
The Area Management Team meet regularly to plan and review all the area’s activities at Colbury Hall in the Ashurst Room
Area Show 2023
We are delighted to invite you to join us at our Area Show which is incorporated into the New Forest Show. Schedules will be emailed out to all last years competitors at the beginning of April. It is also available here.
There will be 10 classes with something for everyone. From pedestals to petites you will see our best exhibitors competing to take home the Best in Show award.
We really look forward to seeing you at the show. Our Education Team will be there to chat to you about our courses, recommend teachers for your club and show you a design idea or two. You will also be able to chat about the Flower Arranger Magazine or find the club closest to you.
Education Workshop Mel Smith Using Agrawool
Mel Smith is a European Master Florist and Floristry Tutor and will be sharing her tips and techniques for arranging with Agrawool. Mel is fun and full of great ideas and positive energy.
Our education workshops are tailored for teachers on our area list, workshop leaders who have done or are doing our course and members teaching courses of flower arranging lessons on a regular basis.
National Show - Gloucester Cathedral
For the first time since the pandemic we are having a “proper” National Show. This is where competitors from all around the UK get together to compete for the coveted Best in Show award.
It is being held at Gloucester Cathedral and looks like being a super show. If you want to join an organised trip Salisbury Flower Club are running a coach and have a few spaces still at £42.50 to include entry to the show.
Sustainable Flower Crown Workshops at Gardeners World Spring Fair at Beaulieu
After the success of last year’s event, the Gardeners World Team have asked the Wessex area to come back again. A team of wonderful volunteers led by education Representative, Val Hockley, will man the workshops. The whole design is compostable using ivy strands, raffia and flowers. Tickets for the workshops are available at the BBC Gardeners World website.
Members Day
Join us for our main fundraiser for the year. We have a wonderful, relaxed day catching up with friends. In the morning we have Senior RHS Judge Jim Buttress talking to us about ‘70 Years in Horticulture’. You will remember Jim from The Big Allotment Challenge on BBC1 with Jonathan Moseley. In the afternoon talented national demonstrator Alison Penno will delight us with her demonstration “Floral Idols’. We have shopping from Carole Norman, South East Flowers, Hardys Cottage Garden Plants, All Wrapped Up and Love is Peace. Tickets area available via our Area Treasurer, Donna Savage. Click here to contact us