The Printworks, Manchester, is giving members of the public the opportunity to adopt their very own bee in aid of charity.
Unbeknown to many people, The Printworks actually has four beehives housed in its roof garden. By offering members of the public the opportunity to adopt and name a bee, The Printworks is aiming to raise £1,000 for Volition, a charity that aims to help unemployed people increase their employability through linking them to volunteer opportunities.
The Printworks has been home to four beehives housing between 30,000 and 40,000 bees in each hive for the last six years. It also has a beetle hotel which accommodates around 100 common ground beetles and a hydroponics system which has allowed the venue to grow everything from lettuce to strawberries, peppers to broad beans, and cauliflower to courgettes.
For £2 per bee, or £25 for a Queen bee (of which there are four), members of the public can adopt and name the bee from The Printworks’ own hives, and in return, they’ll receive a framed certificate.
The initiative follows last year’s successful Adopt A Bee scheme which helped The Printworks to raise £2,500 for their charity partners, The Both Centre and Forever Manchester.
Speaking about the initiative, Fred Booth, centre director for The Printworks commented, “The bee is such an iconic symbol of Manchester and is synonymous with the hard-working Mancunian spirit. Bees are one of the most vital creatures in the world’s ecosystem, so it’s only right that we show them some love too. The interest this initiative generated last year from the public was staggering! We wanted to give people another chance to adopt their own bee, and raise money for a worthy cause.”
To adopt a bee, visit their justgiving page.
