Latest news with #BeeFriendly
BBC News
27-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Warwickshire is the place to bee
Two Warwickshire towns have proved they've got what it takes to welcome bees into their gardens and parks. "Bee Friendly Town" status was granted to Warwick and Leamington during World Bee Day on 20 of pollinator proponents in each town played a role in helping secure the recognition from the Bee Friendly Trust, with the areas supported by neighbouring Kenilworth which has held Bee Friendly status since Harper from Bee Friendly Leamington said the group visited schools to educate children about why bees mattered to the environment. 'Make a difference' Luke Dixon, co-founder and CEO of the Bee Friendly Trust, said the status recognised what was possible when people came together for the good of the environment, with the Warwick group running a petition to reduce pesticide use "and prove that you can actually make a difference". Ms Harper said: "We've been working hard for a few years and a large part of our work is in education. "We've been to schools and talked to over 4,000 children about why bees matter and why people shouldn't be scared of bees and really saying how our gardens have become so important for wildlife like bees."Fern Arnold, Chair of Bee Friendly Kenilworth said: "The UK has lost 97% of its wildflower meadows since the 1930s and if we want to continue to benefit from bees as pollinators we have to do our bit to help them."I'm so pleased for [Warwick and Leamington] because I know how much work they have all put in. We are all volunteers, we give our time freely and its great that they can have the acknowledgement." Follow BBC Coventry & Warwickshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Leader Live
28-04-2025
- General
- Leader Live
Flower for Flintshire competition by developer Lovell Homes
Schoolchildren at Westwood Primary School, Buckley, designed a 'Flower for Flintshire', in a competition commissioned by Lovell Homes to celebrate the launch of its newest development, Bryn Castell, near Mold. In the workshop, delivered by Katy Quinn, owner of Cheshire Paper Flowers, the children were tasked with deciding the colours, shape and overall feel for a unique 'Fower for Flintshire', before being split into groups to make three large paper daisies, a reference to the Welsh native ox-eye daisy flower. Lynne Brown, deputy headteacher at Westwood Primary and Simone Selwyn, sales executive at Lovell Homes, with pupils. Photo: Ian Cooper/Ian Cooper Photography. A winning design was then chosen to be created from paper and put on show at the development's marketing suite, which launched on April 26. Using templates resembling the shape of a poppy and daisy - florals with varieties native to Wales - unique colourways were put forward by the children, bringing in an element of the strong local community while acting as a nod to the area's beautiful natural fauna. Read more: North Wales student duo winning awards for new clothing range Lynne Brown, deputy headteacher at Westwood Primary, said: "This was a brilliant project for us to be part of. It gave the children a unique opportunity to contribute to something visible in their community and make something that they can really be proud of. The workshop allowed them to be creative, work collaboratively, and appreciate the beauty of their local surroundings which is something we actively encourage." Maisie, a pupil at Westwood said: "I wanted my flower design to show how bright and welcoming our community is - just like flowers make people smile and feel happy, I hope my design makes people in Flintshire feel happy and proud too." Read more: Welsh charity invites Flintshire schools to help cut county's litter Another pupil, Phoebe, added: "I made my flower bright and cheerful because I think flowers help make places feel more friendly - and I want everyone to feel welcome here." Lovell also gifted the school native Welsh wildflower seeds to support the Bee Friendly government initiative. The scheme aims to make Wales a pollinator-friendly country by encouraging community groups to create habitats with wildflowers and native plants that provide food and shelter. It also promotes avoiding harmful pesticides to ensure safe environments for bees and other pollinators to thrive. Simone Selwyn, sales executive at Lovell Homes, with the winning flower. Anne-Marie O'Doherty, regional sales director at Lovell, said: "We've loved seeing the creativity and enthusiasm shown by the children as we mark the change of the seasons with this hands-on group task. "The opening of Bryn Castell marks an exciting new chapter for us, and we're proud to celebrate the local culture in Flintshire. The location of this development is perfect as it offers contemporary living that's so close to surrounding Welsh and North West cities, as well as stunning nature. By raising awareness of the local wildlife we hope to support something that's so special to people who live in the region - whether they've lived here for years or are moving here for the first time." • For more information visit: or call 01352 300148.
