Champion Support for Bentham Buzzy Bees

Thousands of newcomers to Bentham are settling in nicely, thanks to a £750 Champion Bowland grant

These funds, along with £250 from the local Riverside Caravan Park and a £175 donation from an Ilkley resident made this project possible during May of 2020. The new arrivals are black bees brought to Bentham by Mat Young of Enable Disability who has set up Bentham Buzzy Bees. They and their queen bee are living in woodland and are already exploring the area. Local people have raised money buying packs of wildflower seeds for planting, to attract bees that fly three to six miles for pollen. Mat, along with volunteers, has been learning beekeeping skills to be shared with community and disabled groups. Covid-19 restrictions meant that community engagement for the project wasn’t possible during 2020, but Mat is excited for the coming year and being able to provide training to help manage the hives through his Enable Disability Project. Mat said: “We have so much appreciated Champion Bowland’s support in getting our project started. There are number of ways businesses and the public can help support the project, one is to buy some bee-friendly wild flower seeds”. For further info visit: https://buzzybees.org.uk/

Can You Help?

Champion Bowland is a charity which provides easily accessible small grants for local projects which benefit the environment, local communities and visitors within the Forest of Bowland AONB. Champion Bowland raises funds from visitor donations, charitable activities and other sources. Look out for donation boxes in local businesses, or text CBOW15 followed by the amount you wish to donate (eg £1 or £5) to 70070