A Formula 1-themed float being built for this year’s Battle of Flowers is facing a race against time to get ready for the parade starting grid – with the independent team behind the project scrambling to find a suitable workspace to finish it.
With less than 70 days to go, the VC Family and Friends Battle of Flowers Group has made an urgent appeal after learning that the shed it used last year is no longer available.
The team’s latest creation will feature a full-size F1 car built entirely by the team and decorated with flowers, leaves and seeds. The float will also showcase 11 specially-designed F1 helmets covered in hare’s-tail grass, each representing a team from the 2026 championship.
Additional features include a ten-foot gantry spanning the float, a winners’ podium complete with dancers dressed as racing drivers, and displays featuring all of the 2026 Formula 1 drivers.
The outlines of the sport’s 24 race circuits will also feature around the float, which will be accompanied by a dance troupe and themed pit crew on parade day.
But unless a new paddock is found, months of hard work and preparation could be in jeopardy.
The space in which “Lights Out and Away We Go” is currently being constructed is not large enough for the final flowering process or to accommodate the 240 buckets of flowers needed to finish it.
The team is led by Vicki Birch and Chris Lowndes, who between them have been involved in Battle for more than 70 years, with generations of family members taking part over the years.
They are now appealing to islanders, local businesses and property owners who may be able to offer temporary use of a suitable shed or warehouse between 1 and 16 August.
We have put so much time, effort and love into creating this year’s Formula 1-themed float, and we are determined to make it to the parade
VC Family and Friends Battle of Flowers Group
Ideally, the team requires a building with a door opening approximately 9ft wide and 12ft high, with enough room to accommodate their 8ft by 22ft float and the large volume of flowers needed in the days leading up to Battle.
“We have put so much time, effort and love into creating this year’s Formula 1-themed float, and we are determined to make it to the parade,” the appeal stated.
“Any help in finding a suitable space would mean the world to us.”
CAN YOU HELP?
Anyone able to help or who has a suggestion for the VC Family and Friends Battle of Flowers team is asked to email vickibirch40@hotmail.com or message them via Facebook.
