TIMco, one of the UK’s largest, independent and fastest growing wholesalers to the construction industry, is supporting its local community by partnering with Bees In Our Community – a bee conservation organisation based in Northwich and operating throughout Cheshire. The partnership is part of the company’s strategy to build a sustainable business and support the communities in which it trades.

Bees In Our Community was set up in 2016 as a not-for-profit social enterprise to offer a free ongoing ‘loan’ of beehives and honeybees to home owners, land owners and farmers with many hives being located close to TIMco’s Headquarters and Warehouse in Nantwich, Cheshire.

The aim is to get to 300+ hives into the local community. The bees are all locally bred and raised and are of the native (Apis Mellifera Mellifera) strain. The native bees make best use of the variable weather and forage that Cheshire experiences and play a vital role in pollination, with an estimated one third of all foods consumed each day relying on pollination by bees.

The hives are too expensive to buy new so they are hand made from locally sourced and recycled wood which requires a large volume of screws and glue in their assembly.  To support the charity’s endeavours, TIMco has initially donated over 25,000 items of their screw stock (as per Bees In Our Community requirements) to the cause, as well as suppling wood for the construction of the hives. TIMco is looking to pledge further donations to the organisation throughout the coming year.

TIMco has committed to supply the charity with all their fixing needs to achieve their targets. They have also contributed to the re-design of the hives so that they can be made from timber originally used in pallets. This mutually beneficial opportunity has reduced the amount of timber being recycled and reduced the material cost to zero.

Simon Midwood, Managing Director of TIMco, comments:

“We are excited to be supporting local initiatives such as Bees in Our Community and to be helping them with such a positive initiative. As a ‘Founding Sponsor’, we look forward to continuing to support the organisation’s outstanding work and to help make a positive environmental impact within our local community. In the future, we hope to have some hives on TIMco’s land in order to bring our support for this cause to life.”

Karl Colyer of Bees In Our Community was delighted with the support given by TIMco:

“As a not-for-profit business, every penny counts and is directed towards helping honeybees. The very generous supply of screws and several van loads of wood has really helped us provide quality hives for the bees.”

This timely support follows hot on the heels of the city of Chester’s aim to become the most bee-friendly city in the country by running a #BEEfriendlyChester campaign to educate and encouraging Chester to ‘bee-friendly’.

The Grosvenor Shopping Centre will be hosting events from July 27 to September 1, including live hive workshops, scuttlebee kids play zone, fun activities, bee flower seed giveaways, local honey sellers and education demonstrations.

Further information regarding the work carried out by Bees In Our Community can be found on their website at www.beesinourcommunity.org.uk