Tesco’s sweet donation helps the bees

Tesco stores in Devon and Cornwall are donating sugar from split bags that is no longer fit for human consumption to a local bee conservation charity. The sugar is being used to feed bees that are struggling to find enough nectar, with beekeepers turning it into syrup or fondant, which is given to the bees as a replacement for nectar and honey. Tesco’s community manager at Callington store in Cornwall, Lucy Hughes, came up with the idea following a conversation with two beekeeper friends. The programme is run in partnership with the Bee Improvement Programme for Cornwall (BIPCo) and currently involves around 10 stores. Hughes commented: “Bees are not only central to the process of pollinating crops which later become our food but are an iconic part of the Great British countryside. I hope this small but important project will go some way to support our local bees and help them through the winter months.” Tesco is also helping bees in Cornwall and Devon through its Bags of Help initiative. The scheme has provided over £25 million to more than 3,000 community projects across the UK so far, with sister group to BIPCo, B4 (Bringing Back the Black Bees) receiving £10,000 worth of funding that it will use to construct a haven for native black honey bees at Mount Edgcumbe in South East Cornwall.

from UK Fundraising http://ift.tt/2l6vuqH