Flowers help toward America trip

A GROUP of religious youngsters are one-step closer to the trip of a lifetime today thanks to a flower festival with a difference.

Elmsett Methodist Church enthralled visitors with flower display based on the different states of the United States of America.

And thanks to the festival the church raised £1,480 to help send 12 children and seven adults to Ohio where they will carry out voluntary work as well as experience life in an American city.

Liz Cope, who is organising the trip, said: “The festival went very well - we felt it was very successful and people thought it was a very original theme.

“There was a good selection of all the states and the flowers were used very cleverly.”

Mrs Cope said the church usually held a flower festival every two years but added that this was the first time an American states theme had been used because the aim this time was to collect money for the trip.

It will cost around £20,000 to take everyone to America and around £6,000 has been raised for the project so far thanks to a garden party and a youth concert as well as the flower festival.

Mrs Cope said: “We're going at the end of July for ten days.

“I went to America two years ago and when we were there we worked with the Nehemiah Mission which provides help to disadvantaged people in Cleveland.”

Mrs Cope said once the children flew out they would join the mission during the day by helping clean people's gardens, painting and simple building tasks.

Then in the evenings they would be able to experience an American city.

She added: “It will be a great trip because they will be helping others and seeing another side of America too.”

Are you organising a trip of a lifetime? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich IP4 1AN or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk.