The internationally renowned Bee Centre in Chorley Lancashire, is strengthening its Community Bee Breeding Programme with the support of JACKON UK.
JACKON UK is committed to sustainability in both the manufacturing and use of its products, which can dramatically reduce energy requirements in buildings. This is why the company has chosen to support the Bee Centre. Bees are vital for the preservation of ecological balance and biodiversity in nature. They provide one of the most recognisable ecosystem services – pollination, which makes food production possible. By doing so, they protect and maintain ecosystems as well as animal and plant species, and contribute to genetic and biotic diversity.
The Bee Centre works with organisations and schools to develop a robust, near-native honeybee population nationally. JACKOBOARD®, Jackon UK’s leading brand of insulated tile backerboards for wetroom and shower projects, worked with The Bee Centre at the launch of the programme two years ago and donated 100 insulated polystyrene beehives. These beehives have the benefit of lasting a lifetime whatever the weather and they provide better insulation than timber alternatives in the winter.
The Bee Centre has installed a dozen of these beehives at the Breeding Centre in Heysham for school environmental projects since the launch of the initiative. There has been a growing number of schools joining the Programme across Lancashire and even as far afield as Wrexham, over the last year. The Centre provides polystyrene beehives and starter kits, talks and training in schools as well as hosting events, to engage and educate children about bee keeping and environmental benefits.
Mike McCann, JACKOBOARD® Regional Sales Manager, learned about the Nature Reserve Programme of Jimmy’s Farm and Wildlife Park, situated in the heart of Suffolk. Mike and the team offered their support by helping to deliver three JACKON beehives and a colony of 15,000 honeybees to the farm in September 2021. The owner of the farm Jimmy Doherty has a life-long passion for insects and he shared this in the Big Bee Rescue on Channel 4, inspiring others to care for bees across the nation. He is also a patron of The British Beekeepers Association. The Bee Centre also installed specialised equipment and provided training to the staff onsite.
Simon Cordingley of The Bee Centre says: “Our Community Bee Breeding Programme focuses on generating awareness in schools, colleges and local communities about the important environmental story of pollination carried out by bees, and our native bees and the threats to them. We encourage organisations to help us in the delivery of this worthy project. We have used polystyrene beehives donated by JACKON in the roll-out of this programme and they show distinctive advantages when compared to timber alternatives. With the support from organisations like JACKON, it will enable us to reach out more into communities over the coming months this year.”
Colin Higham, managing director of JACKON UK Ltd says, “Our polystyrene and polypropylene-based building products save energy, resource and emissions when in use. They last a lifetime and are recyclable. They have very impressive performance when used in house building and tiling projects and cause minimal environmental impact, if manufacturing processes are carried out properly. We are more than happy to support The Bee Centre in their environmental projects and would like to demonstrate that plastics, when used for the long term, can reduce energy requirements, and benefit the environment.”
More information regarding the Community Bee Breeding Programme can be found at www.TheBeeCentre.org.
