Corporate Volunteers from Valpak and Reconomy Boost Beekeeping Project at The Garden of Arden
Employees from both Valpak and Reconomy joined us at The Garden of Arden for a buzzing bee‑themed team event that brought them together and helped us move forward with our beekeeping project. Many of the team had never met in person before, so this was a brilliant chance to connect, do something purposeful and enjoy getting to know each other in a completely different setting. It was a day filled with teamwork, laughter and meaningful impact, where the garden was a hive of activity.
We began the morning with an Impact Quiz and Sustainability Bingo as a light and lively ice breaker, enjoyed with hot drinks and pastries before everyone got stuck into the practical conservation tasks ahead.
The group helped prepare the bee hives for the new colony arriving in spring. They carried out hive maintenance, cleaned the frames, removed old wax and varnished the outside of the hives to weatherproof them. Their care and attention means our future bees will have a safe and sturdy home to settle into. The old wax they removed will now be kept for a crafting activity later in the year, where our community groups will create natural candles using the pure wax. So nothing goes to waste and we continue to keep sustainability at the heart of the site.
After a productive morning, everyone enjoyed fresh sandwich baguettes and hot soup in our cosy cabin. It was a welcome break and a lovely moment to sit together, chat and enjoy the calm of the nature reserve.
The afternoon brought a change of pace with a bee‑themed escape room filled with puzzles and conundrums to solve. The team threw themselves into it with great enthusiasm and worked together to complete the challenge and save the bees.
This day was a fantastic effort from everyone involved. Their contribution helped us progress towards welcoming bees to the nature reserve and opens up opportunities for the local community to learn about beekeeping, understand the importance of bee colonies and enjoy planting more pollinator friendly plants to keep them thriving. In time, we will also be able to collect pure fresh honey from our hives, a sweet reward for the hard work.
We want to say thank you to the whole team for their energy, kindness and commitment. A special thank you to Alex Beesley for organising another fantastic group to join us after planting trees with us last year. Their impact was un‑bee‑lievable and we deeply appreciate their support.
