A FLORIST in Armley, near Leeds, desperately needed more space to put together her Mothering Sunday bouquets. Christine Robinson is the proprietor of Leonora Rose, a flower shop based in a shopping centre, and recently she had to move to smaller premises, where there was not enough space for all the flowers she needed to prepare.

She regularly supplied the flowers (at a discount) to the parish church, St Bartholomew's; so she asked the Priest-in-Charge, the Revd Ian Wright, if she could use the parish hall. But too much was going on during the week; so Mr Wright offered her the use of the church itself, from Monday to Friday, where she could set up tables on the tiled floor of the chancel, and there was a ready supply of water.

The gesture was, he told me, part of his church's ministry to co-ordinate the church with the community, and a matter of generosity on both sides. In return, Ms Robinson offered to make up 200 small bouquets, to be distributed in church on Mothering Sunday, when it would be packed with the regular congregation and also with its uniformed organisations.

In addition, Ms Robinson has promised to provide, free, all the flowers that the church needs at Easter.