Prizewinning Beekeepers

St Hilda’s beekeeping club was selected as a finalist at this year’s ECHO Environment Awards, held at the Isla Gladstone Conservatory in Stanley Park in April. We were recognised and commended for our commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship, and all the pupils in the group are very proud to have been selected.

St Hilda’s Beekeeping club is a new initiative, funded and supported by the Bee You project from Blackburne House. We started back in April 2017, and a group of 20 pupils have spent the year undergoing LANTRA beekeeping training. The school now has two hives in our custom-built apiary, which is sited near the school yard for all to see.

Improved pupil understanding of the environment and the role of the honeybee has helped raise awareness across the school, and our project is cause for great pride across the whole school community. In a world where the environment and the economy are often in conflict, beekeeping is helping our students develop a grounding in both, by also developing their entrepreneurial skills, through sales and marketing of the hive products too. Look out for Hilda’s honey coming this autumn!

There are opportunities to get involved every year, please see Mr Norton for more details.