For 21 years we’ve sponsored The Optimists Club in the Jersey Battle of Flowers, & it’s been a wonderful experience to watch their hard work & dedication in to putting on a brilliant show…
Read below from team member Nic to find out how they make it all happen!
“10 days to go until The Jersey Battle of Flowers 2017. Here are my 20 Parts To A Battle Float. – No. 10, Finances
One thing I am always asked is how much does it all cost. A major part of any Battle float is the finances and raising the necessary funds in order to pay to put the float together. With overall costs to putting one of the large Battle float together between £20,000 to £25,000, including an ever increasing flower bill of around £12,000 there is a lot of money to raise in order to put a float in the parade.
For entering the parade, the floats each receive a guarantee dependant on the class entered from the parade organisers, The Battle of Flowers Association. Their money comes from the ticket sales and a grant from the local Jersey government and tourism department. For all the larger floats this guarantee is currently around £9,500 so there is a large shortfall that must be raised. This is done through sponsorship, donations and lots of hard work and efforts fund raising throughout the year. A number of the Parish floats also receive some support from the local parish and parishioners.
All the work to produce the float is done voluntary, with people giving up hours of their own time and talking holiday from work to create and parade the float. There are also elements of huge favours and good will displayed across the island. A real community spirt is in force, all in the name of producing Battle floats.
The Optimists Club are fortunate to be sponsored by Insurance Corporation Channel Islands who are incredibly kind, generous and always willing us to do our best in Battle. Without them we would not be able to enter and so are so incredibly thankful for their sponsorship. The Insurance Corporation are a sponsor like no other, they have no demands, they support us not just financially but also cheering us on whilst watching the parade and we have come to consider them not just as a sponsor but as our friends, always looking forward to their visits whilst building and flowering. 2017 marks the 21st year we have received this amazing sponsorship and generosity from The Insurance Corporation and is 21 years more entering floats than we could have achieved without them, for this we are truly grateful.” #HereByYourSide #ThankYou #JerseyBattle17
We’re looking forward to the 10th/11th August for what promises to be another eye-opening experience for all…
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