Community groups across Oldham mark World Bee Day with local events

L-R Maryam Ahmad aged 5, Carl Turner - Neighbourhood Manager at FCHO, Catherine Charnock - Beekeeper at Local Food First CIC, Musa Ahmad aged 3, Lina Valencia - Founder of Local Food First CIC

Community groups across Oldham held activities this week to mark World Bee Day after receiving funding from First Choice Homes Oldham to support events focused on biodiversity and pollinators.

The housing association provided £2,200 in funding to three organisations to help raise awareness of the importance of bees and other pollinating insects.

Funding from First Choice Homes Oldham was shared between OL1 Oldham and social enterprises Local Food First CIC and Hope Restoration CIC, with each group holding events during the week around World Bee Day on 21 May.

OL1 hosted activities at Barker Street Community Centre in Coldhurst, including bug hotel making sessions, improvements to herb beds and seed packet giveaways.

Local Food First organised a range of family activities at the Wildbrook Community Food and Growing Hub designed to encourage people to learn more about pollinator friendly environments.

Hope Restoration also delivered a biodiversity themed event at Sholver and Moorside Community Centre, with another planned for 28 May.

Dave Hanlon said, "Without funding from organisations like FCHO, we wouldn’t be able to put on such a fantastic event on this scale."

He added, "We’ve had 85 visitors including pupils from the three local primary schools and some home schooled children too."

"It’s been great to show and teach the children about biodiversity, nature and growing initiatives and we find that often, children are more in tune with nature than adults."

"These local kids really are our future so exposure and early education around these topics is of huge importance. Thank you to FCHO for enabling us to do this."

Carl Turner said, "The theme of this year’s World Bee Day is 'Bee together for people and the planet a partnership that sustains us all'."

He added, "By working together with these three groups and using our grant funding, I think we have collectively lived up to that theme."

Mr Turner said the events also support wider environmental work carried out by First Choice Homes Oldham, including No Mow May initiatives and projects involving tree, wildflower and bulb planting.