A Leeds social enterprise is creating a buzz on World Bee Day.
When Kate Turner found herself shielding at home with vulnerable family members during the first Covid-19 lockdown in spring 2020, nature became her lifeline. With the world outside paused, Kate turned to her garden for comfort – a space where birdsong was louder, air cleaner and bees more visible than ever.
“I felt so lucky to have a garden. Nature was a calming force during a time of intense anxiety. I started noticing bees more. I read books about them; I watched David Attenborough’s Extinction. It hit me hard. I knew I had to do something.”
That ‘something’ transpired into Bee Inspired Eco Education CIC, a Leeds-based social venture sown from a lockdown seed. Inspiring the Next Generation of Planet Protectors, Bee Inspired Eco Education CIC (BIEE) is a Community Interest Company that connects young people and families to the wonder of bees – and the role we all play in protecting them.
Through hands-on workshops, school talks and community events, BIEE teaches people how to help bees and other pollinators, making it easy and fun to take environmental action.
Kate: “We want children to fall in love with nature, because when you care about something, you protect it. Watching a child spot a Queen Bee for the first time or seeing the excitement when she lays an egg in our observation hive—that joy is contagious.”
World Bee Day: A Global Message, A Local Mission
World Bee Day, celebrated globally every year on 20 May, raises awareness about the vital role of bees and the threats they face. This year, to mark the event, BIEE will be showcasing a live honeybee colony to some of the 6000 Yorkshire school children attending the Yorkshire Agricultural Society’s Countryside Days – connecting young people to farming and countryside.
“We are buzzing to be able to champion the bees at such an important event – it’s not hard for children to associate certain farming practices with food on their plate, but few realise the absolutely vital role our pollinators play in food and crop production. It’s estimated that we need to thank our pollinators for one out of every 3 mouthfuls we eat and the free pollination services they provide are valued at around £400 million.”
As well as attending events like the Countryside Days, Bee Inspired Eco Education provides workshops and activities for schools and community groups and runs an after school club and small group experiences from their Experience Apiary based at CATCH Leeds, a vibrant community centre and educational farm in Harehills. The next after school club starts on Thursday 4th June 2026.
