First for Birmingham as Co-op grant supports the opening of community beehive

Posted by rob smyth | Published: 21/07/2017


Youngsters across Birmingham can now learn all about bees and how important they are thanks to Central England Co-operative.

The Society has funded the creation of a beehive in the Northfield area in conjunction with the Northfield Eco Centre and Allens Cross Community Garden.

The project will be used by local schools for special educational visits that will allow youngsters to find out about the important role that bees play in relation to the eco system of the world.

James Knight, Member and Community Relations Officer, said: “We are really proud of being able to give back to the communities in which we serve and this project is a great example of this.

“We were able to work closely with the Northfield Eco Centre and Allens Cross Community Garden to come up with a plan designed to ensure we created something that would be of major benefit for children across the area.

“Bees are vital to our eco system and this community beehive will allow us to teach children this, all while operating in a fun but safe environment.”

Central England Co-operative first launched a bee observatory as the East of England Showground with the Peterborough and District Bee-keepers Association in 2015.

The project has been a huge success with hundreds of children getting to learn all about bees as part of special workshops throughout the year.

Verity Caldwell, from Northfield Eco Centre and Allens Cross Community Garden, said: “”We feel very lucky to be involved in this great community project, which has been created to highlight the importance of the honey bees and all of our pollinators. 

“It will be an opportunity for all, to delve into their world of wisdom and wonderment, through lots of interactive activities, and to see our lovely colony of honey bees at work.”

Becoming a member of Central England Co-operative offers a whole host of benefits ranging from collecting points every time you spend in store to earn a share of the profits, access to members activities and community initiatives including the Community Dividend Fund, which hands out grants of up to £5,000 to charities and good causes across the Society’s trading estate.

Find out how to become a Central England Co-operative member by calling 0800 0501 601, emailing members@centralengland.coop or visiting https://www.members.coop

More information on the beehive is available by contacting James via email at member.community@centralengland.coop


Notes to editors

About Central England Co-operative

Central England Co-operative is one of the largest independent retail co-operative societies in the UK. It is a modern, forward-looking organisation employing over 8,000 staff, with gross sales of £927 million in 2016/17. The Society’s principal areas of activity are food, funeral services, and property investment. Central England Co-operative has over 400 trading outlets across 16 counties including; West Midlands, Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Staffordshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, Nottinghamshire, Northamptonshire, Lincolnshire, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, Suffolk, Norfolk, Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire.  The Society has an ambitious food store development programme for 2017. 

Central England Co-operative is proud of its reputation for ethical business practices and corporate responsibility.  It is a member of Business in the Community, the membership organisation that stands for responsible business, and has also won many business awards for excellence.  The Society supports a number of charities including Newlife Foundation for Disabled Children and invests a percentage of its trading profit into local communities.

Becoming a member of Central England Co-operative offers a whole host of benefits ranging from collecting points every time you spend in store to earn a share of the profits, access to members activities and community initiatives including the Community Dividend Fund, which hands out grants of up to £5,000 to charities and good causes across the Society’s trading estate.
Find out how to become a Central England Co-operative member by calling 0800 0501 601, emailing members@centralengland.coop or visiting https://www.members.coop

For more information visit www.centralengland.coop, follow Central England Co-operative on Twitter: @mycoopfood, and on Facebook: facebook.com/centralenglandcooperative

Rob Smyth / Heather Clapton at Central England Co-operative on 01543 414140

Email –publicrelations@centralengland.coop