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