They were born at a recycling and waste site and now they are working hard to help prevent food poverty, they are ‘Old Kent Honey’ bees…
Honey harvested from bees at the Southwark Integrated Waste Management facility off Old Kent Road will be used to raise money for FoodCycle, a charity that helps stops food being wasted by tackling food poverty. Veolia, the recycling and waste partners of Southwark Council, installed beehives last spring so that the honey would be ready for the up and coming annual Wonder Day taking place on Saturday 17 September. The delicious honey can be tasted on the day so that visitors can try and enjoy some freshly harvested ‘Old Kent Honey’.
The site which has wild meadow plants, bushes and trees, has the perfect grounds for foraging insects and bees. During this year’s Wonder day, a free, family annual event that invites the general public to see what happens to recycling and waste, ‘Old Kent honey’, will be available for visitors to sample and donate to FoodCycle. For more information about the Wonder Day visit www.veolia.co.uk/southwark/WonderDay.
Fabrice Bouchon General Manager at Veolia Southwark said, ‘I am very proud of our honey bee project, the bees have added to the thriving biodiversity on site as well as helping the local environment. The honey that has been harvested tastes great and we hope it will help us to raise money for FoodCycle, a worthy charity that does incredible work for communities across the country.’
FoodCycle uses surplus food supplies from food retailers, volunteers and spare kitchen spaces to create healthy meals for people at risk of food poverty and social isolation. At the Wonder Day the honey will be available for a suggested donation of £3.50 a jar and all the proceeds will go to the charity. For more information about FoodCycle visit http://foodcycle.org.uk/.
