Bees for Development Fundraising

Bees for Development is experiencing a difficult time. We have had to adjust to cope with the effects of Covid-19 on our lives, like most people and businesses around the world. The repercussions will continue for a long time to come, and one certainty is that those who are already suffering through poverty, in places where Bees for Development works, will be badly affected.

Spring and summer events had to be cancelled including what was to have been our main fundraiser of the year, our London Bee Banquet, for which all tickets had been sold. In addition, our annual Monmouth Bee Festival and all our spring courses are cancelled. We had to be a little creative in thinking how we might go some way to replace this.

On 10 June, a stellar line-up of well-known celebrities took part in our online “Sundowner” event. It was a light-hearted conversation between Bill Turnbull, Martha Kearney, Monty Don Bees for Development Patrons and Miles Jupp, interspersed with short films showing Bees for Development’s work in alleviating poverty around the world. The event was free to attend, and donations, together with an online auction of items that included a book of signatures by renowned beekeepers, achieved almost £20,000.

The hosting of the Sundowner was supported by Rowse Honey, who also sponsor one of Bees for Development’s Projects in Ethiopia through their Hives for Lives Programme (see page 12)

One of the lots in the Auction was a unique collection of autographs by famous beekeepers, kindly donated by David Charles, who had collected them since the 1960s. The book contains many names famous to the bee world: Karl von Frisch, Eva Crane, Colin Butler, Gordon Townsend, Dorothy Hodges, Dorothy Galton, Colin Weightman, Leslie Bailey, Harrison Ashforth, Harold Armitt, Norman Rice, Ron Brown, Ted Hooper, Brother Adam, Harry Riches, Keith Delaplane, Rob Manley, George Hawthorne, Bill Turnbull, and many others. An incredibly special prize!

Please support Bees for Development

Every donation to Bees for Development helps us fight chronic poverty, empower people, and contribute to maintaining biodiversity.

Donate at

www.beesfordevelopment.org

or call us on +44(0)1600 714848