On Friday, July 28, 2023, a unique and exciting fundraising event was hosted to support Hope Spring, a nonprofit organization that promotes access to clean water. A workshop on natural beekeeping was held at The Hive in the south Herefordshire village of Much Birch. Sara Steward, a natural beekeeper in Worcestershire, came up with the idea for the session. Temi Odurinde, a trustee for Hope Spring and a natural beekeeper, and Andrew Collinson led it.
The six natural beekeepers discussed a variety of beekeeping subjects at the event, including themes for total novices like selecting a bee-friendly hive and collecting your first swarm. Andres Collison, a natural beekeeper with more than 20 years of expertise, opened the class by addressing “The bein of the hive,” a comprehensive examination of a colony of bees. The beekeeper returns after lunch to talk about capturing swarms, controlling varroa mites, and the best plants to plant for bees.
About £300 was raised at the event for Hope Spring. Temi Odurinde said of the fundraiser: “We had a fantastic time during the workshop, and every participant had expertise of one or more techniques to share. We all left the workshop better natural beekeepers than when we arrived. Temi continued, “Hope Spring is appreciative of the contributions made by each participant; the money will support the new borehole project we are constructing in Agege, Nigeria. I’m happy that I was able to support the fundraiser in some small way as well.
Hope Spring directly solicits donations from their fans, particularly those who participate in their yearly contest to send the greatest charity Christmas e-cards, to fund their clean water project. Although the natural beekeeping fundraiser was a one-time event, raising money in the future with the natural beekeeping community has not been discounted.
On their website and social media accounts, Hope Spring provides further details about their clean water initiatives. You can also find out more information about natural beekeeping on the website of natural beekeeping trust.