A Whittingtons’ wonderland: Bamboozle’s Gala 2023

How do you make an event extra special? With stunning flowers from Whittingtons. We were absolutely thrilled to be supported by the Leicester branch for this year’s Secret Garden Gala dinner.

Each year we choose a different theme for our annual fundraising Gala dinner and charity auction. This year we chose ‘Secret Garden’ because so much of our work has been outdoors, and the impact for our young people being immersed in nature during our creative theatre experiences has been so beneficial for everyone involved. The chance to bring the outdoors inside for this special night was an exciting prospect.

Located at Freeman’s Common, the team at Whittingtons provided us with a selection of their beautiful silk flowers, wisteria trees and leafy archways which helped us to bring this beautiful theme to life.

“When Whittingtons said that they were keen to support the Gala we were absolutely thrilled!” adds Jade Frost, Bamboozle’s Gala Producer. “Their store on Freemans Common – just around the corner for Bamboozle HQ – was a treasure trove of stunning silk flowers, trees, and all manner of event décor. The team at Whittingtons: Louise, Lesley, Charley and all of the customer support team where so generous with their support. We couldn’t have made the event without them. Our guests were stunned by the venue”.

Bamboozle designer Connie Burley chose a gorgeous range of flowers and foliage from Whittingtons’ extensive selection and created a stunning hoop chandelier and wall hangings using trailing foliage, including ivy, ruscus, amaranthus, soft pink, purple and white roses, alongside pops of colour with bright sunflowers.

Connie also designed the table settings featuring golden candelabras, (loaned by Iron Swan), and draped with ivy and wisteria. She also sourced delicate vintage vases and china teacups which nodded to the Edwardian era, alongside glass jars which were upcycled with lace and hessian. The teacups were filled with moss and fresh flowers from Whittingtons to create a sense of gentle garden whimsy. The vases were filled with fresh roses, lisianthus, veronica, gypsophila and carnations. Winstanley House’s drapes were added to with peach lace tie-back and decked with pink and purple roses. Connie also creating hanging lights made from vintage watering cans with fairy light trailing from the spouts.

We couldn’t have been happier with the look that was created for this special event, which raised over £13,500 in support of our free immersive theatre experiences for families in 2024.

Thank you for your support.