Lilley Flower festival set to bloom over Bank holiday weekend

Lilley’s perennially popular Flower Festival promises to be even more colourful and creative this year with its World of Charities theme.

There will be 20 displays around St Peter’s church and the village’s very talented amateur florists have been creating arrangements that will best express the charity of their choice.

The wide variety of worthwhile causes includes the National Trust, Mind, Mission Aviation Fellowship, British Heart Foundation, Street Pastors and the British Legion.

One of the more unusual is ZANE: Zimbabwe A National Trust Emergency. It’s been chosen by Lilley stalwart Judith Smedley, whose daughter Fiona and family live in Bulawayo.

She says: “It’s a very small charity but it does such good work and hopefully the Flower Festival will bring it to a wider audience.”

A ZANE spokesperson said: “Our fundraising efforts are under severe pressure – world headlines are understandably focused on the terrible wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, while the ongoing plight of Zimbabwe’s poorest is of little media interest.

“But we are still managing to provide lifesaving support to more than 2,000 destitute pensioners, including some 500 war veterans and their widows.

“ZANE’s clubfoot correction programme has transformed the lives of more than 5,400 children so far and our education projects continue to impact the lives of children who otherwise would not be receiving any schooling.”

For more information visit www.zane.uk.com

The Flower Festival takes place on Saturday and Sunday, May 4 and 5, from 10.30am to 4.30pm. Entrance is £3.50 and there are stalls and refreshments in the Cassel Hall.

All proceeds will go to the upkeep of the church.