Sherrie Smith shares her business skills at a Herts floristry workshop

Sherrie Smith, a successful Romany Gypsy businesswoman and florist, is sharing her skills at the first ever Romany Gypsy-lead floristry workshop in Hertfordshire.

The workshop was set up by Sherrie Smith so that Gypsy and Traveller and settled women could meet and mix and learn useful skills to become self-employed businesswomen in the floristry trade.

The weekly series of day-long classes took place at Sherrie’s business premises over the first six weeks of winter and five women took part. The course was free and was part-funded by Unlimited, an organisation that supports social enterprise businesses, with Sherrie covering the costs of the floristry materials herself.

“I am creating more competition for myself,” laughs Sherrie.

“Floristry is a good trade for Gypsy and Traveller women to learn as much of the trade now takes place online meaning that it can be fitted in with childcare and raising a family, Perfect for young mothers,” says Sherrie, who is also a full-time mother of two children. 

The Travellers’ Times went down to Sherrie’s last workshop in December to check out what was going on and was very impressed. The women were taking a break from the final class of the project and were tucking into some Christmas nibbles and non-alcoholic mulled wine, whilst outside a fire burned away in an old iron wood-burner. The big wooden workbench inside the workshop was strewn with completed wreaths and flower decorations and bits of holly and moss left over from the finished pieces that the women had been working on. It certainly looked very industrious and Sherrie’s five pupils told us that they have had a very good and productive time and wished that the course was longer.

Lisa, a mother of four from Herts, says she is already taking orders for Christmas wreaths and table decorations. “I’ve loved it,” she says, and adds “can we do another six weeks Sherrie?”

Michelle, a non-Gypsy/Traveller from Cheshunt, was also impressed and enjoyed working with the other women, saying that it was a great way of “getting to know each other” and breaking down the misconceptions spread by certain TV programmes.

Charlie, a young mother from Cheshunt is already a trained hairdresser but is looking for a trade that will fit in with raising her children. “You can work from home,” she says. “It means that you can work and look after your children.”

It’s the same for Sophie as well, already a qualified beautician, who is also looking for a trade she can work more from home with.

“The floristry business is moving from the High Street to online and if you want to be a success you have to move with it,” says Sherrie, whose ‘Sherries Flowers’ business fulfils big orders for weddings, funerals, supermarkets and even car showrooms.

Sherrie first tackled floristry when an order for her aunt’s funeral came through and she was not happy with how it looked. “I spent all night before the funeral sprucing it up and I thought, hang on, I can do this myself.”  Sherrie then took a college course in floristry, eventually opening a shop and starting an online business.

“Floristry is a craft and that’s how I have been teaching it, breaking the process down into its different parts so that my women learn how to put together top quality finished products that look good and can be sold.”

“It’s important that Gypsy and Traveller women have the opportunity to carry on working once they have children. It’s not just about raising money it’s about independence. My dad, who has now passed away, always supported me in my business and was always very proud of what I achieved.”

“Dad also did me a favour when Big Fat Gypsy Weddings approached me to go on their TV series and he said, don’t do it, it’s too risky for your reputation.”

“I like a challenge,” says Sherrie, who is also involved with Josie O’Driscoll’s Herts based Gypsy and Traveller rights organisation and helps to campaign against prejudice and racism. “I want to run more of these courses whilst still running my business.”

The Travellers’ Times thinks that Sherrie Smith – with her combination of business skills and her tireless campaigning for both Gypsy and Traveller rights and for Women’s independence and equality within the Gypsy/Traveller communities - is one to watch and we will be following her future exploits with a lot of interest.

(Picture caption – L-R: Charlie, Lisa, Josie, Sherrie, Sophie and Michelle)