The FONS Bid has provided a DofE Gold or Silver volunteering opportunity with the Beekeeping Club from Sept to July each year with £300. FONS’ generous bid allows older pupils to gain qualifications as well as being a bee-con (beacon!) beekeeping school in the east of England.

This bid has provided 2 brand-new Bee suits for our sixth form helpers! Our two sixth form DofE pupils, Claudia Davidson and Oscar Ablewhite, have supported the club through the winter working with the remaining pupils on wax resist work and making frames in preparation for the coming season. 

Additionally, the show hive that was purchased last year has been installed after not being able to put it up last year due to the strange weather in April affecting the bees. It was too cold to inspect at the beginning of the season and then, when we were finally able to, they all swarmed in a matter of days, and they then spent the rest of the season trying to recover the two hives. 

Mr and Mrs Brook visited the Beekeepers spring convention at Harper Adams where they attended a workshop specifically about show hives and are excited to get the hive up and working this term. They have learnt some very important lessons about its set up and look forward to putting these into place.