Okay, we're just going to come right out and say it.
Back in February 2025, our very own Helen Chambers walked into the glamorous surroundings of BMA House in London, stood in a room full of the wedding and floristry industry's finest, and won the SWA Sustainable Influencer Award 2025. A genuinely big deal. A moment worthy of confetti, celebration, and, at the very least, a blog post.
Reader, you may have noticed that we did not write a blog post.
Weeks went by. Then a month. then a year. Then... look, Valentine's, Mother’s Day, and spring happened. Summer weddings. Flowers needed selling, and somehow here we are in April, sheepishly tapping at the keyboard like someone who forgot a birthday and is now really, really leaning into the "better late than never" angle. Because we’re doing just that. So consider this our announcement, our celebration, and our formal apology to Helen for making her share her own good news at the dinner table while we were all busy doing… well… flower stuff.
Right. Now that's out of the way... Congratulations, Helen. You absolute legend!!!
Helen in The Florist →
Helen in the Yorkshire Herald and Advertiser (pg 15) →
The Sustainable Wedding Awards
On 5th February 2025, Helen was named Sustainable Influencer of the Year at the Sustainable Wedding Awards, one of the most respected events in the industry for recognising businesses and individuals who are genuinely walking the walk when it comes to eco-conscious practices. This was a panel decision AND it was a public vote. This means the wider industry looked at Helen's work and said, collectively, "Yes, her."
Michelle Miles, Founder and CEO of the Sustainable Wedding Alliance, put it beautifully: "Helen's dedication to sustainability is truly inspiring, and the win serves as an example to others in the industry. Helen has, for many years, been inspiring and championing others, so it's wonderful to see her achievements recognised by the wider industry. We are lucky to have disruptors like Helen in the wedding industry, and proud to have her as a member of the Sustainable Wedding Alliance."
Disrupter. We love that word for her. So fitting.
What Helen Actually Does (Because It's a Lot)
If you've been following Evolve Flowers for a while, you'll know that sustainability isn't a popular word we've sprinkled on top of our branding like biodegradable glitter on a Christmas wreath. It's woven into everything we do, and Helen is the reason for that.
Through Evolve Flowers, Helen has championed practical, real-world solutions that make greener floristry genuinely achievable. That includes things like reusable packaging, shipping dry moss in #Reuseabox boxes to cut carbon emissions, and working exclusively with sustainability-focused B Corp suppliers like Reuseabox and Naked Sprout. These aren't token gestures; they're deliberate choices made at every stage of the supply chain.
But Helen's influence doesn't stop at our own front door. Her workshops, talks, and mentoring services have helped florists and floral designers across the country start making the shift towards greener practices. She's part of a growing movement of florists who believe that beautiful flowers and responsible business aren't mutually exclusive; they're one and the same.
Perhaps most impressively, her advocacy has led to real, structural change at a national level. Helen was instrumental in influencing the RHS to incorporate British-grown flower labelling into their competitions. That's not a small thing. That's changing how the industry thinks about provenance, transparency, and accountability from the top down.
In her own words: "This award encourages me to keep going, and to continue inspiring British flower-focused florists and arrangers to make a difference, however small. It all adds up."
It really does.
Why This Matters to Evolve Flowers
Evolve Flowers was founded on a very specific frustration: UK florists couldn't easily access the stunning British-grown blooms that were available right here in Lincolnshire. So we set out to change that, and to do it in a way that was as planet-friendly as possible.
Over 90% of our products are sourced within a 40-mile radius of our base in Spalding, with the rest coming from Cornwall, Wales, Jersey, the Scilly Isles, Scotland, and Ireland. Our flowers arrive direct from growers, most within a day of harvest, which means less time in transit, less waste, and blooms that are genuinely as fresh as they can possibly be.
We choose British manufacturers wherever possible, prioritising low-carbon, recycled, compostable and biodegradable packaging throughout the supply chain. Not because it's fashionable right now, but because it's the right thing to do, and because we believe every florist in the UK deserves access to ethical, beautiful, British-grown flowers without having to compromise on quality or cost.
Supporting local flower farmers isn't a side note for us, either. We work closely with our growers on seasonal products, trial varieties, and unique ranges that make the most of every bloom that's been grown. That relationship between grower, supplier, and florist is at the heart of what we do, and it's what makes British flowers worth celebrating.
So, when Helen stands up in a room and says that sustainability should be at the heart of everything florists do? She's not just talking about Evolve Flowers. She's talking about an entire industry that has the power to do better, and increasingly, is.
Looking Forward to More Sustainability
This award, along with last year's recognition as one of the treasured 100 Faces of Floristry (another thing we probably should have shouted about more… sorry Helen), is a reminder that the work Helen and the Evolve Flowers team are doing is being noticed. And more importantly, it's making a difference.
If you're a florist thinking about how to make your practice more sustainable, you're in the right place. Whether that's switching to British-grown blooms, rethinking your packaging, or just starting to ask questions about where your flowers come from, it all adds up, as Helen would say.
We'll be here, cheering you on. Possibly a couple of months... maybe even years, after the fact, but cheering nonetheless.
Congratulations again, Helen. We're incredibly proud of you, and we promise the next award announcement will be slightly more timely.
(Possibly)