Reading University seeks budding bee keepers

Reading University's Students In Free Enterprise (SIFE) would like to set an apiary on Whiteknights campus. This could eventually develop into a Social Enterprise Company involving students, staff and community members.

SIFE have done some preparatory work in costing out how much they will need to raise in funds for beehives, equipment and training for those interested, and identifying appropriate outlets where honey and wax products could be sold. Help is also being sought from the Co-op Plan Bee Scheme, which campaigns to reverse the decline of bees and other pollinators.

In the meantime, the group has expanded to include some members of staff, one of whom is a registered bee-keeper, who has already agreed to loan a hive to the project and provide a swarm to start them off and a member of Biologiocal Sciences is also offering support and advice. A corner of the Walled Garden within the Harris Garden has been confirmed as a location for this. Two members of the Friends of Harris Garden, who have recently been trained as bee-keepers, are now involved as well.

For the project to be sustainable and to generally encourage bee-keeping, it needs to include members of the community as students will come and go and those initiating the scheme will be leaving soon. It needs people living locally to become involved.

If you are interested, please contact the Website Manager in the first instance, who will forward your name to the project team.

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