Beesley & Fildes sponsors Bees in Our Community

Beesley & Fildes has paid homage to its company name by sponsoring Bees In Our Community, a Cheshire organisation which supports these beloved honey bearing insects.

Beesley & Fildes, which boasts an eye-catching bee logo, selected the honey bee sponsor package to assist this small, not-for-profit initiative which aims to breed and maintain a sustainable supply of bees.

The investment by Beesley & Fildes will help pave the way for a hive to be built and a new native colony with a Queen to be formed and introduced to the surrounding environment to work their magic.

As part of the sponsorship, Beesley & Fildes, which is headquartered in Huyton, received 100 jars of pure raw honey from the Nantwich organisation, which they intend to give to their customers as gifts this Christmas.

To fill just one eight ounce jar of honey involves one million flower visits, the collection of four pounds of water by the bees and around 25,000 miles of flying, which is equivalent to travelling around the globe. Each teaspoon of honey produced represents the lifetime’s work of 12 honey bees.

James Beesley, commercial director for Beesley & Fildes, said: “We were keen to support a regional charity in the run up to the festive season and when we found Bees In Our Community and the charming link to our company name, we simply couldn’t say no.

“The added bonus is that this is all for a wonderful cause. Bees are vital to the environment and achieving biodiversity so we’re only too happy to create a buzz around this community-focused endeavour.”

The donation for Beesley & Fildes, which has 11 branches throughout the north west and North Wales, will help to increase the number of near-native and locally-adapted bee colonies across the region. This is with the overall aim of creating 300 sustainable bee hives throughout the area.

Bees In Our Community’s eco-friendly hives are made from recycled wood, including old pallets and scaffold planks, and the organisation provides a sponsorship certificate and regular updates about the progress of the bee colonies to all sponsors.

In addition to sourcing the materials and building the hives from scratch, Bees In Our Community offers mentoring to new beekeepers and aims to educate people on the importance of bees to the wider environment.

Karl Colyer, a honey bee farmer who founded Bees In Our Community, said: “Roughly 40 per cent of our food requires pollinating insects and their populations have reduced in the UK by about 80 percent since 1970, meaning we have to take immediate action.

“Bees In Our Community rears near-native and locally-adapted bees that are suited to the UK climate and foraging availability. We can’t do this work alone, which is why sponsors such as Beesley & Fildes are essential to fund the new hives, equipment and breeding programmes required to ensure more bees are permanently sited locally. This activity enables colonies to grow and thrive well into the future.”