Flowering Tale of Success in Newcastle-under-Lyme

By UK Skills

In a time of economic and financial uncertainty, a tale of business triumph is blossoming at a much-loved local store in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire. It is an exciting time for Natalie Stanyer because on Saturday 6 June she officially takes ownership of the local florist Elizabeth Floral Art and will be re-launching it as Natalie at Elizabeth’s. What makes this moment special is that fact that Natalie began working at Elizabeth’s at the age of 15 on a whim, only to discover a genuine talent which has now given her the courage to buyout her employers and become her own boss.

Natalie’s success can be attributed to a number of factors including the fact that her employers realised the value of providing her with ongoing training and development, which not only helped them maintain a competitive edge over their rivals, but also enabled Natalie to dramatically increase her skills. As part of this training, Natalie took part in several skills competitions that eventually led to her securing a place in the UK Team that competed at WorldSkills Japan 2007. WorldSkills competitions take place every two years, and showcase the talents and abilities over 1000 of the best young professionals from trades, service and vocational programs around the world.

Expressing his delight at Natalie’s latest success, UK Skills CEO, Simon Bartley said: “We’d like to extend our congratulations to Natalie for her upcoming store opening. Natalie has gone from strength to strength since competing at a world class level at WorldSkills Japan 2007. During the competition Natalie’s dedication and talent was rewarded with a medallion of excellence; this store opening is just another testament to her ability as a skilled florist with a fantastic career ahead of her”.

Commenting on her success, Natalie said: “When I returned from Japan I was invited to meet the Prime Mister along with the other competitors. It was such an amazing experience, so when my bosses indicated that they wanted to retire, I thought that if I can make it to Number 10 Downing Street than I can definitely make my dream of owning my very own flower shop a reality too”.

Having partnered with her sister on this new venture, Natalie has been busy organising the re-launch event which will be attended by important members of her local community, valued clients as well as key guests from within the floristry industry.

For more information, please visit: www.ukskills.org.uk.