Durham Cathedral is the Anglican Cathedral church of the Diocese of Durham. Founded in 1093 and UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is the Shrine of St Cuthbert and the Venerable Bede, the Seat of the Bishop of Durham and a focus of pilgrimage and spirituality in North-East England.
Deborah is lead of Durham Cathedral Flower Arrangers and has been commissioned as sustainability consultant to the cathedral for The Royal Maundy visit from The King & Queen as part of the Easter celebrations
The Farewell Flowers Directory is a not-for-profit launched in May 2024 by Gill Hodgson (Fieldhouse Flowers, Yorkshire) and Carole Patilla (Tuckshop Flowers, Birmingham). Their aim was to make it easy for people to find funeral flowers made without plastics and floral foam. As funeral florists, they’ve both been passionate advocates for foam-free funeral flowers for many years and have promoted an approach to funeral flowers which starts with a conversation and ends with a unique and personalised floral tribute that ‘feels right’ for the person it is celebrating.
Periwinkle Barn is member and advocate for sustainable funerals.
Flowers from the Farm is the UK’s leading professional trade association for independent flower growers, representing a network of over 1,000 members nationwide. Dedicated to advancing agroecological growing practices that prioritise environmental responsibility and financial sustainability. Its mission is to empower its members with the knowledge, resources, and opportunities to thrive in their businesses while promoting the unique value of British-grown flowers. Through education, advocacy, and collaboration, FftF is driving innovation and excellence in the flower-growing industry, connecting growers with customers who value high-quality, sustainably produced flowers.
Periwinkle Barn is a proud member and Deborah is also North East & Yorkshire Regional Co-ordinator
Sustainable Church Flowers (SCF) is a movement within the Church of England – ‘from the parish’ – founded in 2019 in Harpley, Worcestershire by Candy & Shane Connolly. It is a growing group of friends, passionate about sustainability in our churches, cathedrals and churchyards, who are gently campaigning for change. Through a combination of an ambassador network, social media campaigns, workshops and good old-fashioned evangelism SCF is encouraging change by providing information and support to churches and cathedrals around the United Kingdom and further afield.
Deborah is the North East Ambassador for SCF.