Beautiful bunches building brighter futures
Supporting young women from refugee backgrounds
Our Social Impact
What we do
The Beautiful Bunch is a Melbourne-based floral delivery service bringing joy through flowers and creating jobs for women from refugee backgrounds. The women we work with face significant challenges to securing a job in Australia. Our purpose is to support them to build the confidence, skills, and social networks needed to find meaningful employment.
Meet our Trainees
“Working at The Beautiful Bunch was such an honour and helped me to be surrounded by people who were not just coworkers but more like a family where we chat and have fun together while doing our jobs.
I gained so much experience and floristry skills and know how to do the arrangements in a creative way and learned so much about digital skills and how business runs and what happens behind the scenes in a daily florist. I also learned so much about photographing skills which is something I am passionate about. I improved a lot with my social skills and came out with more confidence which was a thing I used to struggle with. I had a chance to work with so many talented and passionate people, who I learned a lot from.
Working at The Beautiful Bunch as a person who came new to Australia that has English as a second language really gave me a good head start and encouraged me with good energy to start my life in a new place with such a helpful team that they are more like sisters to me”
Meet our Trainees
“I am originally from Djibouti, a little country on the border of Ethiopia and Somali. Living in Australia has been a difficult experience in terms of navigating life religiously, ethnically, and as someone from a Culturally and Linguistically Diverse background. I had been struggling to find work since recently moving to Victoria.
I believe the work these lovely people at The Beautiful Bunch are doing is fantastic because they have employed women from various backgrounds to find work and further their career.
For example, Jane has provided me with incredible support in pursuing a career in government in the near future. Additionally, places like the Beautiful Bunch are crucial for women seeking support from other women in employment as it is a safe space for them and others to work and learn.
The Beautiful Bunch is very important for women of refugee backgrounds to find financial stability, and a supportive and friendly work environment”
Meet our Trainees
“I graduated in economics from Afghanistan in 2021 and then came to Australia. Adjusting here was really tough - new culture, new environment, everything was different. I worked hard to get my driving license and to study English. In a new country, everything was a challenge, like finding housing, transport, a job, and enrolling in University. Eventually, I found a job at the Beautiful Bunch and also started studying Data Science.
When I joined Bb*, I had to learn a lot. The workplace environment was so different from Afghanistan. I learned about communicating respectfully, showing kindness, and being polite. Little things like saying "excuse me" and "thank you" matter a lot here. In Afghanistan, we respected each other, but it wasn't as polite as it is here, and I think that's really good.
I learned a lot from my time at Bb*. I learned about flowers and how to take care of them. Making flowers for myself makes me really happy. I learned about arranging flowers and playing with colours. Everyone finds happiness in different things, and I have learnt mine is flowers.
Working here, I gained confidence and made good connections with people. I enjoyed communicating with the women at Bb*, who came from different cultures and backgrounds. It was a great learning experience and a chance to make friends.
Leaving Bb* makes me sad because I'll miss everyone. I know the program was for six months, but I ended up working here for a year. I'm excited about the future and my dream job. I want to say thank you to everyone - Jane, Riana, my colleagues - for all the help and friendship. Thank you”
Our Social Impact
Why we do it
We believe in a world where marginalised young women from refugee backgrounds have a sense of purpose and identity that drives their economic and social participation and improves their personal wellbeing. Our passion is to support the incredible young women who are a part of our team to overcome the barriers they face and begin the path to achieving their dreams.
Meet our Trainees
“My time at the beautiful bunch has been one of the most rewarding. I moved to Melbourne at the start of last year and found it difficult to find a job and make new friends. Joining the team at Bb gave me the confidence I needed to navigate this new city, both financially and mentally.
Working as a trainee florist has taught me the necessary skills that will help me not only for my time at Bb but also for the future. I learnt how to work with flowers to create beautiful bouquets, vases and arrangements. I’ve also improved my customer service and communication skills. Most importantly I grew more confident, through the support of our team.
In the future, I hope to take all the skills I’ve learned and the memories I’ve made here to hopefully help others as well. I aim to one day become a business owner myself”
Meet our Trainees
“After graduating highschool, I wanted to start becoming more independent. I had started studying I.T and Design, and I was looking for work for a long time and nothing was working out.
Then I was recommended a job at the Beautiful Bunch. My interview experience at the Beautiful Bunch was different to other workplaces, everyone was so friendly and the environment felt different. I was really excited to work with flowers, and it was something I had never considered because there aren't any florists near my house!
The Beautiful Bunch really helped me with being more confident and learning how to communicate better. I felt comfortable around the team quickly. Being around women with similar experiences to myself, made it easier to have conversations and feel confident in being myself. I hadn't made friends in a while, as it is hard to do at university.
The Beautiful Bunch has also taught me a lot about team-work, how to move in a fast-paced environment, how to make arrangements, and it has most of all, made me love flowers!”
Meet our Trainees
“Before I started at the Beautiful Bunch, I was in a limbo state. I had spent 7 months at home due to a bad injury, and I felt like I was unsure on what to do with my life. I felt excited about starting at The Beautiful Bunch because I wanted to get back into a routine, get used to being in the workforce and start socialising again.
Since working at Bb*, I feel like I have found another family. Previous places I have worked, I have felt nervous to ask questions if I needed help. Here I have felt so comfortable because everyone has been so patient with me. My confidence has improved as I have learnt things about myself like that I can help bring other women out of their shell. I didn't know I had the potential to do that because usually, I am the shy one! Bb* has also helped me a lot with how to work in a team environment, floristry skills and has inspired me to get more into social media content creation as I ran our tik-toks for a while.
I am graduating from my 6 months at The Beautiful Bunch and moving into a course and work in child care. I am also not forgetting about my personal ambition to one day start my own business in hair and beauty!
I am excited for this new chapter, but it is bittersweet. The Beautiful Bunch really helped me with getting my head back on track and clearing my mind. I couldn't picture myself ever working again before I started here, and now I feel very motivated for the future”
How you make a difference
Flowers that feel good twice
When you order flowers from us, you not only receive a Beautiful Bunch of blooms, your purchase directly funds the work that we do. Our flower-loving community are our biggest supporters! It is you who enables us to provide vital, life-changing training and employment opportunities to young women entering the workforce for the first time.
Make a donation
Meet our Trainees
"When I first started at The Beautiful Bunch, I was feeling nervous about my English. Every morning, when Ri asked everyone what they did over the weekend and encouraged conversation, it helped me practice speaking. Now, I feel much more confident. These days, I feel like I can start conversations with strangers. My confidence has increased from 10% to 98%!
At Bb*, I learned a lot about flowers. I became good at creating native bunches and learned how to care and prepare all the flowers. The Beautiful Bunch helped keep my brain active and taught me how to multi-task. I learned how to think ahead and know what to do next, and now it comes naturally to me. I also really enjoyed how everyone at work is different and shares their own opinions. We all talk and share like a family, it feels like we all love each other.
Now that I am leaving, I feel a bit sad and hope to find people like this in future workplaces. However, I am excited about working in the hair salon, playing soccer and finishing my studies in Dental Tech."
Meet our Trainees
“Hi it's me, Maria, who's in love with her work and flowers. The Beautiful Bunch, this place is not only a job for me, it is my second home. In my time here, I learnt about a lot of different flowers and especially Australian Native flowers.
I also meet a lot of beautiful souls. At The Beautiful Bunch, everyone is so warm, welcoming, patient and kind.
One of the best things I love to do at Bb* is Corporate deliveries! It is so special and joyful when you make the vases and then to see the happy faces when delivering the flowers.
I get the chance to communicate and know a lot about people and Melbourne suburbs.
I can't wait for more good things that are coming on the way for Bb*! I can feel that Bb* is growing and helping me to grow too”
Meet our Trainees
"My time at The Beautiful Bunch has been nothing short of beautiful. I made a lifetime of memories and formed friendships among flowers. I started with little experience working in a team, but The Beautiful Bunch showed me how working together can uplift ourselves, our team, and our community, even through small things like exchanging positive words. I am so grateful for this experience.
Our conversations while working kept me motivated and made each day special. The Beautiful Bunch helped me grow and experience a caring community of supportive women whose passions shine through their every actions and words.
I will always cherish the friendships and experiences I gained during my time at The Beautiful Bunch and hope to see everyone continue to flourish"
The Beautiful Bunch respectfully acknowledges the traditional custodians of the lands on which we work, the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respects to Elders past and present. We also acknowledge that sovereignty has never been ceded.
© 2024 The Beautiful Bunch