A team of 18 employees from Marlow-based IT firm, Softcat, creatively recycled flowers left over from Royal Ascot into beautiful bouquets, raising more than £500 for Thames Valley Adventure Playground (TVAP) on June 19.

The pre-loved, still gorgeous blooms left in the wake of the iconic race event provided a unique fundraising opportunity.

The employees effectively turned the office into a makeshift florist, crafting bouquets from the donated flowers during their volunteer day.

The fresh blossoms were then made available for other staff members to purchase.

Their efforts turned into a financial blooming success, raising a total of £546 for the charity.

TVAP, located in Taplow, serves children and adults with various special needs.

The funds are earmarked for enhancing their specialist play areas as well as for improving their recreational and learning facilities.

Lucie Grange, Community Outreach Coordinator at TVAP, said: "It was an absolute pleasure to work with the team from Softcat.

"Not only did they produce a proper tropical mocktail bar, backdrops and a perfect flamingo frame, they also raised a staggering £546 from flower donations!

"I just want to say a huge thank you from all of us at TVAP!"

Nathan Adlard, Services Development - Programme Manager at Softcat, echoed Ms.

Grange’s sentiment.

He said: "Volunteering at TVP was truly inspiring.

"It was amazing seeing such selfless people helping the community and creating an environment all local children can be proud to be a part of, but more importantly also have some fun.

"The passion of the staff and the care they took with making the playground a safe space that anyone can feel welcomed at was magical.

"As a team, it was great to be a part of TVP, even if it was only for a day, and hopefully we'll see them soon!"

Softcat's innovative approach extended beyond flower recycling.

The team also made confetti from leftover petals, built a tropical mocktail bar 'The Soft Bar', and even fashioned a giant flamingo constructed entirely from recycled materials for future TVAP events.

This initiative was undertaken with the support of Lavender Green Flowers, who offer a 'Flower Freecycle' programme, donating high-quality, post-event flowers to local charities.

Softcat encourages its employees to give back to the community by offering each two volunteering days per year to engage in charitable acts.

This commitment and shared passion for local causes have resulted in considerable support for schools, food banks, community centres, and animal shelters.