HONEY FROM OWN HIVE HELPS A NURSERY FUNDRAISE FOR DEARLY MISSED FORMER PUPIL
Little Monkeys Nursery in Cramond, Edinburgh is using honey from the beehive it has on its roof to raise funds for the Lewis Leap Foundation.
This was set up in memory of local boy Lewis Johnson who attended Little Monkeys After School club.
His charity was set up by family and friends who wanted to honour his life and spirit. Raising funds to help disadvantaged children in the community access opportunities currently outwith their reach, the Lewis Leap charity aims to empower them to take their own Lewis Leap.
Little Monkeys owner Grace Kerr and her business partner Valerie Broomfield have now raised nearly £2400 by selling jars of their honey to the Nursery parents, with Grace and Valerie matching the amount raised through the honey sales.
Kinross based Webster Honey sited the hive on the roof last year, following the Nursery enjoying a day long experience with Webster Honey’s Observational Hive which can be taken into schools and nurseries to give a flavour of the business’ educational programme. So enthralled were they with the hive that Nursery staff decided they would have one at their own premises. The children were able to decorate a plain hive ready for the bees arrival.
Webster Honey can provide schools and nurseries with a longer ten week, age appropriate, lesson plan if they wish. This often follows the experience with the Observational Hive.
The exceptionally fine Spring and Summer weather this year, coupled with less pollution over lockdown, lead to a bumper honey crop for the Little Monkeys Hive, with beekeeper Meik Molitor keeping the Nursery well supplied with boxes of runny and set honey.
Grace Kerr said: “We remember Lewis with great affection, and were very keen to contribute to his foundation as it’s such a great cause.”
“Our parents have snapped up the honey we have offered for sale, it’s a beautiful product. We had to ask Meik to bring in more as it was all selling so fast! Lewis’ family are very grateful for everyone’s support. We’re very glad we decided to have the hive put in place, and to work with Webster Honey, as it’s been a great experience for the youngsters.”
Grace finished by saying that she hoped the Nursery could work with Meik and the Webster team again in the Spring or when it was safe to do so.
She said:“The children loved this project – they enjoyed decorating the hive and it was a constant source of fascination for everyone.”
Further details on Webster Honey’s work with schools and nurseries here
A fundraising facebook page for Lewis here
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