Flower Show giveaway proves a hit

London, 26 May/GNN/ -- DEPARTMENT FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS News Release (155/08) issued by The Government News Network on 26 May 2008 A new attraction at this year's RHS Chelsea Flowe

The Show's garden leftovers are being offered to community groups and charities
who can re-use them, proving that one person's discarded flower-pot can be
another's treasure.

The re-use yard, run by the Charities Advisory Trust, opens its doors today
to find new homes for flower show materials which are not otherwise recycled.

Exhibitors dismantling their sites have been depositing materials with the
yard, based at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show site, since the end of the Show
on Saturday. For the next eight days, groups will visit the yard by prior
arrangement to collect materials including flower-pots, wood and stones.

Environment Minister Joan Ruddock, who visited the yard today, commended
this practical approach to re-using materials.

"The re-use yard reflects people's growing interest in re-use and recycling. As
a frequent Chelsea visitor myself I've often wondered what happened to all
the 'hardware' left after the plant sales ended. This is the ideal solution.
The scale of Chelsea means lots of communities will benefit. I hope the
partnership between the RHS and the CAT will become a permanent feature."

Charities Advisory Trust Director Hilary Blume identified the possibilities
for the yard when she saw the opportunities for surplus materials which
could be put to use by community groups.

'The Trust knew these materials could be re-used, so we came up with a
simple solution which provides groups like city farms, schools community
projects with gardening materials. And it's also convenient for exhibitors
dismantling their sites.'

'The Trust has made a commitment to clear the yard of materials so has
arranged with Enviroworks Lewisham and the National Community Wood Recycling
Project that they will scoop up all leftovers, to use on their projects. A
win/win solution".

Notes for the Editor

* The Royal Horticulture Society is monitoring exhibitor waste from the
Flower Show for the first time this year. For more information, contact the
Royal Horticultural Society at pressoffice@rhs.org.uk or 020 7821 3043

* The Charities Advisory Trust is an independently run trust which has been
operating for over 25 years. It provides practical help to charities to
help them generate income more efficiently. More information on the Trust
is available at www.charitiesadvisorytrust.org.uk. The Trust's Director,
Hilary Blume, is available for comment on 020 7794 9835 or 07771797778.

* The recycling yard is based in the corner of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show,
at Royal Hospital, Chelsea, London, SW3.

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Charities Advisory Trust

Nobel House
17 Smith Square
London SW1P 3JR

Telephone 020 7238 1134
Fax 020 7238 5529
Out of hours telephone 020 7270 8960
Out of hours fax 020 7270 8125
Website www.defra.gov.uk

Source: Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

2008-05-26 06:13:01 0370041 PRNEWSWIRE