Introducing beehives at Manor Walks

Manor Walks Shopping Centre provides a shopping and leisure experience to the community of Cramlington, Northumberland. A five-year project to improve the sustainability of the centre started back in 2018 in partnership with ABM’s client, Workman LLP.

Challenge

- To help in building a local native habitat for wildlife on the site that would support the local bee population.
- To improve the recycling rates and the recovery of materials from the waste chain.
- To increase the sustainability and reduce the carbon footprint of Manor Walks.
- To create financial savings for the centre.

Sustainability - Social Value

“Manor Walks shopping centre believe in integrating themselves in their local communities by giving support, knowledge and experience. For ABM, the goal was that biodiversity improvements efforts would create a better and healthier experience for visitors to the centre.

ABM has proudly delivered to the community while delivering on commitments to the client to reduce their costs.”

Solution

ABM worked with Manor Walks to create a plant nursery on the site to build up the local native habitat for wildlife and to support the six beehives. The beehives were carefully placed to avoid any contamination from poisonous pesticides in the area. No financial support was sought for the project and instead, the community was actively encouraged to get involved such as donating plants, materials and equipment.

So far, this project has:

- Involved multi-community town council groups.
- Developed a sustainable and successful biodiverse project.
- Provided an opportunity for volunteering.
- Provided training on aspects of the work done by ABM – beekeeping, for example.
- Taken positive action towards the wellbeing of staff, tenants and customers.
- Produced approximately 150 lbs of sample honey for locals.
- Supported an increase of beehives for local town council community groups who, next season, will have a minimum of four.

Additionally, there has now been two re-wilding areas introduced to provide natural local habitats including Bee Hotels and Bug Hotels in meadow and flowered areas which should be fully grown in late 2022.

The Bee Hotels are part of a project involving local primary schools as a learning resource. Each primary school was given a beehive to paint, to be part of a ‘bee town’ that would link sustainability and education in the community. Local primary schools are also brought honey produced by these hives, where children are shown how to bottle the honey and can then take it home. This collaboration has also produced an envirostreet website ([www.envirostreet.org](http://www.envirostreet.org)) for the local community to use, where they can showcase their work and achievements, promoting nature and biodiversity.

Benefits

Environmental

- As a result of the project, there is an increased beehive apiary (now six hives).
- The fully self-sustainable planting programme is increasing the local biodiversity and creating habitats for wildlife.
- The project includes approximately 10 local tenants who are helping to rehabilitate plants donated by the local community.
- There are two allotments, four community groups and all 110 tenants involved in protecting biodiversity.
- Two re-wilding areas on site have been created to support and increase local wildlife.

Economic

- For the landscaping on site, ABM used a local charity, Azsure, who offer advice and support.
- According to the management team at Manor Walks, everything purchased for this project was locally sourced within a five-mile radius of the centre.

Social

- Free honey is available to members of the community, helping to improve health and wellbeing while creating a conversation around locally sourced and artisan food.
- ‘Envirostreet’ offers a free educational source for the local community.
- Locals have been trained and supported so the apiaries could be managed by the community.

The project also received national recognition:

- Four Green Apple Awards.
- A Green World Ambassador Award improving team morale.
- There is also an involvement with all local primary schools in relation to beekeeping; honey production; and why we need these insects, creating an educational resource for local children.

Find out how we can make it possible for you by visiting [ABM.co.uk](http://ABM.co.uk).

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