This morning, florist Alison Trickey of Pollen Nation - Clerkenwell BNI’s newest member – met Sion Whellens of Calverts (an old lag, at nearly 10 years) and was taken on the grand tour of the East End’s most famous graphic design and printing co-op. What would a florist have in common with a graphic designer/printer? Plenty. We identified possible referrals in a number of sectors, including universities, events and exhibition organisers and charities. Alison has referred Sion to a friend who works at Global Witness (Calverts already produces stationery for this campaigning group, and would like to be producing their reports as well). Sion referred Alison to eventer Joelle McNichol, who is working for the Philip Lawrence Awards and is a former lynchpin of the sustainable eventing outfitSeventeen Events.

Calverts provided chocolate brioches and Equal Exchange Fairtrade medium ground coffee for Alison and Sion’s one-to-one, which was appreciated as Alison had been up - as usual – since sparrowfart, procuring her clients’ flowers at the New Covent Garden market in Vauxhall.

Sion will be visiting the Shoreditch studio of Pollen Nation as soon as possible, to find out more about the world of contemporary floral design. He recommends you do the same.