Sustainable Church Flowers: Wales Grant Guidance 2026

Key Points

• Worshiping communities around Wales are encouraged to pursue the possibility of grant funds in order to make sustainable flower arranging possible following the Royal Maundy Service at St Asaph Cathedral in April 2026.
• Their Majesties The King and Queen participated in the St Asaph service where all floral decorations were produced locally and without any plastics or floral foam (oasis).
• The announcement of the Church in Wales on 11 September 2026 provides a list of grants available for consideration which is posted on the website of the Diocese of St Asaph.
• This is part of the bigger picture of the movement within the Anglican community following the decision taken by the Church of England’s General Synod in February 2026 endorsing the motion in support of the Sustainable Church Flowers (SCF).
• SCF stands for locally produced, seasonal, biodegradable flowers as well as no more use of floral foam and single use plastics. Instead, it promotes such traditional means as chicken wire, metal frogs, moss and twigs.
• Principles of sustainable flower arranging are set out in a masterclass conducted by Royal Florist Shane Connolly MBE in St Asaph Cathedral in July 2026.

St Asaph (Wales Times) September 11, 2026 — Churches across Wales are being encouraged to explore grant opportunities to develop sustainable flower arrangements, the Church in Wales has said, in a move that follows the Royal Maundy Service held at uk/local/st-asaph/">St Asaph Cathedral in April 2026. The provincial news item, published on 11 September 2026, notes that Their Majesties The King and Queen attended the St Asaph service and both support sustainable flowers in churches. All the flowers on display during the service were arranged without the use of plastics or floral foam (oasis) and were locally sourced, according to the Church in Wales.

The announcement directs parishes to further guidance on the principles behind sustainable flower arranging via a film of a masterclass given by the Royal Florist, Shane Connolly MBE, at St Asaph Cathedral in July 2026. It also signposts congregations to a list of possible grants available on the Diocese of St Asaph website, although the Church in Wales release does not specify individual grant values or eligibility criteria beyond pointing to that external list.

How did the Royal Maundy Service in St Asaph shape the flowers sustainability push?

The Royal Maundy Service at St Asaph Cathedral on Thursday 2 April 2026 marked only the second time in the ceremony’s 800-year history that it has been held in Wales, and the first time in North Wales. As reported by the Religion Media Centre on 2 April 2026, Their Majesties The King and Queen attended the 11am service, where the King presented Royal Maundy gifts to 77 men and 77 women, a number matching his age. Recipients were chosen for outstanding Christian service and for making a difference to their local communities, with 35 coming from the Diocese of St Asaph.

Buckingham Palace shared coverage of the event on 2 April 2026, noting that the white purse given to each recipient contained 77 specially minted pennies, while the red purse featured a £5 coin commemorating the late Queen’s centenary and a 50p coin celebrating the 50th anniversary of The King’s Trust. The Diocese of St Asaph later described the occasion as a “historic” service hosted at the cathedral with The King and Queen.

The Church in Wales has explicitly linked the sustainability push to that service, stating that the flowers on display were arranged without plastics or floral foam and were locally sourced, and that both the King and Queen support sustainable flowers in churches. A list of possible grants related to this work is hosted on the St Asaph diocesan website, according to the 11 September 2026 announcement.

What does the Sustainable Church Flowers movement want churches to do?

The Sustainable Church Flowers (SCF) movement, founded in 2019 by Candy Connolly, wife of Royal Florist Shane Connolly MBE, has been central to recent Anglican debates on floral practice. As reported by Jamie Grant of Florist Magazine on 30 January 2026, a motion led by SCF patron the Rt Revd Martin Gorick, Bishop of Dudley, was presented to the Church of England’s General Synod in February 2026.

According to Florist Magazine, the motion asked the Synod to: embrace SCF principles promoting local, seasonal and fully biodegradable or compostable flowers and foliage; encourage cathedrals, churches and churchyards to source flowers and foliage locally and seasonally for worship and church life; and call on churches to eliminate the use of floral foam (oasis) and similar non-biodegradable, non-reusable products and techniques, while rediscovering traditional, environmentally friendly methods of presentation and display.

The Diocese of Leeds, reporting on 18 March 2026, stated that General Synod recently backed a motion encouraging churches and cathedrals to explore ways of arranging flowers that are both beautiful and environmentally responsible as part of the SCF movement. The diocese explained that SCF aims to ensure all materials used are compostable and biodegradable; that churches use seasonal flowers and foliage available in their natural season and, as far as possible, grown in the UK rather than flown in; and that the use of all types of floral foam—a microplastic held together by chemicals known to cause environmental and biological damage—and other single-use plastics is eliminated.

The motion highlighted long-established alternatives such as reusable vessels, twigs, moss, chicken wire and metal “frogs”, which for centuries enabled churches to create arrangements without single-use plastics. It also celebrated the creativity of volunteers and the opportunity to support local growers and community gardens.

How are other dioceses and bodies responding to sustainable flowers guidance?

Beyond Wales, several Anglican dioceses have moved to embed sustainable flowers practice. The Diocese of Bristol, in a notice first published on 16 February 2026, pointed members to further information on the February 2026 General Synod motion about using sustainable flowers in church. The Diocese of Leeds reported that two Ambassadors for Sustainable Church Flowers were appointed after a 2024 launch at the Wild Coverdale Flower festival at Coverham Church in the Wensley Deanery, and that approximately two-thirds of the deanery’s parishes had adopted the principles by 2025.

In parallel, the Church of England’s creation care resources page, updated in June 2026, describes SCF as a movement within the Church of England campaigning for more sustainable practice in churches, cathedrals and churchyards, encouraging the use of locally grown flowers and foliage grown without harmful pesticides, packaged without unnecessary plastics, grown by people paid a living wage, and never arranged in synthetic floral foam. The same page lists funding routes for environmental and sustainability projects, including Quick Wins grants generally in the £3,000–£5,000 range and a Decarbonising Churches Grant Fund opening to churches in all dioceses from June 2026.

Industry reaction has been mixed. As reported by Jamie Grant of Florist Magazine on 30 January 2026, the British Florist Association (BFA) expressed concern that the SCF-backed motion’s accompanying evidence appeared flawed in places and that there had been limited engagement with the wider flower industry. Jamie Grant quoted BFA Director Jamie Grant telling The Times that while alternatives exist and are being adopted in many settings, they are not universally practical or accessible for every design or florist, and that the BFA is actively engaged in researching viable alternatives with manufacturers and florists. Florist Magazine noted that Smithers Oasis, the maker of floral foam, would issue its own statement in the week following 30 January 2026.

Where can Welsh churches find grants for sustainable flower projects?

The Church in Wales’ 11 September 2026 announcement states that a list of possible grants is available on the St Asaph website, without detailing specific schemes in the provincial release itself. The Diocese of St Asaph’s own Maundy page confirms that it hosted the Royal Maundy Service with The King and Queen on 2 April 2026, providing contextual background for the diocese’s role in the sustainability push.

Wider Welsh and UK funding landscapes include environment-focused small grants and net zero programmes that may be relevant to church sustainability work. The Welsh Government’s Small Grants – Environment (landscape and pollinators) scheme for 2026 opened for applications on 5 January 2026 and closed on 19 February 2026, with payment rates and rules published for that cycle. Separately, Benefact Trust announced on 3 September 2026 a partnership with the Church in Wales to launch a “Progressing Net Zero” programme, making £600,000 available between summer 2026 and summer 2029, including development grants of up to £5,000 to help churches explore and test low-carbon solutions. While that programme is framed around carbon reduction and fossil fuel reliance, churches pursuing broader sustainability aims may find overlapping eligibility or complementary funding streams.

Background: how did we get to sustainable church flowers funding in Wales?

The current push in Wales sits within a longer arc of Anglican environmental commitment and SCF advocacy. SCF was founded in 2019 and has built an ambassador network, workshops and practical guidance to help parishes shift towards local, seasonal, biodegradable flowers and away from floral foam and single-use plastics. The movement’s principles align with the Church of England’s Fifth Mark of Mission:

“To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the life of the earth.”

Momentum increased in early 2026 when a motion backed by SCF was presented to the Church of England’s General Synod. The Diocese of Leeds reported in March 2026 that General Synod had backed a motion encouraging churches and cathedrals to explore environmentally responsible flower arranging as part of SCF. The Diocese of Bristol subsequently signposted its members to the February 2026 Synod decision.

The Royal Maundy Service at St Asaph Cathedral in April 2026 provided a high-profile demonstration of the principles in practice, with locally sourced, foam-free arrangements used during a ceremony attended by the King and Queen. The Church in Wales’ 11 September 2026 announcement explicitly ties its encouragement to explore grants to that service and to royal support for sustainable flowers in churches.

Prediction: how could this development affect church flower teams and local growers in Wales?

If Welsh parishes act on the Church in Wales’ guidance and pursue available grants, church flower teams are likely to see a gradual shift in sourcing, mechanics and training. Teams that currently rely on floral foam and imported stems may need to invest time in learning alternative mechanics such as chicken wire, metal frogs, moss and twigs, and in planning around seasonal availability. Where grant funding covers training, equipment or small infrastructure changes—such as reusable vessels or local growing beds—volunteer groups could reduce recurring costs tied to single-use materials and build longer-term skills.

Local growers and community gardens stand to benefit if churches prioritise seasonal, UK-grown flowers and foliage. A steady demand from multiple parishes could support small-scale horticulture businesses and create opportunities for joint purchasing or shared growing projects across deaneries. At the same time, florists and suppliers whose models depend heavily on imported lines or foam-based designs may face pressure to adapt their product ranges and offer foam-free alternatives, as highlighted by industry concerns raised in early 2026.

For congregations, the most visible effect may be changes in the look and longevity of church displays, with greater emphasis on locally available blooms and compostable materials. If grant-supported pilots in Wales mirror experiences reported in English dioceses, some parishes may find that initial transitions require extra coordination but ultimately lead to reduced waste and stronger links with local growers.