Our story
Since 2022, the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority has announced 12 Bee Bold Awards winners, recognising their efforts in combatting the ecological crisis and taking action to support bees and other pollinators.
The Awards are open to businesses, community groups, local governments, and education providers within the West of England region. From creating wildflower meadows to raising awareness within local communities, the Awards are about celebrating the wide range of actions being taken to support nature’s recovery.
Over the last two years, a variety of projects have been awarded,
including:
Curo – A south-west housing association and housebuilder who allowed 30 of its sites to rewild after adopting No Mow May and the Nothing for Nature scheme. Curo have worked closely with local residents and councillors to ensure their changes to grassland management were a success and have seen younger residents and community groups joining together to help improve biodiversity on the estates.
Middle Ground Growers – A community interest company (CIC) based at Weston Spring Farm in Bath, which uses regenerative farming practices to grow fresh food for local people all year round. In 2023, they provided food for over 200 families and 12 local outlets. The team won a Bee Bold Award in recognition of their work protecting and boosting pollinators, and their use of agro-ecological processes to regenerate the soil, capture carbon and improve biodiversity.
The University of the West of England – The University have created Beelines across their Bristol campus to simultaneously tackle the decline of pollinators whilst providing their staff and students with year-round edible produce. The campus is full with edible flowers, fruit trees, native wildflower meadows, and wildlife habitats. Their beeline connects green spaces across the campus and into Frenchay, creating a natural, nectar-rich corridor for pollinators.
North Bristol NHS Trust – This Trust is one of the first hospital sites in the UK to have employed a Nature Recovery Ranger to create wildlife habitats and work with patients, local residents, and staff to realise the health-related benefits of natural, green spaces. Alongside planting 11,000m2 of wildflower meadows, the Trust worked closely with the PraiseBee Charity to increase the local population of red mason bees.The Awards contribute to the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority’s Climate and Ecological Strategy and Action Plan. Within this, nature recovery is one of six priority areas where action is needed. The West of England Metro Mayor, Dan Norris, who is a strong advocate for supporting pollinators, is committed to making the West of England the Bee and Pollinator Capital of the UK. He said “…”.
The Community Pollinator Fund
Alongside the Bee Bold Awards, the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority set up a £1.2 million Community Pollinator Fund. Since 2022, this has supported 64 projects with grants of between £1,000 and £100,000 to engage communities and partners in nature recovery and create or improve pollinator habitats. This has been a hugely popular fund, with over 100 applications across two funding rounds, and it expected to deliver at least 61 hectares of habitat improved for pollinators with help from over 5,000 volunteers.
Our advice
- Planting a variety of nectar-rich plants, shrubs, and trees will provide food sources for pollinators throughout the year. Different species have varying dietary needs at each life stage so having a diverse range of plants, and ones with different blooming times, can sustain all insect life stages.
- Any organisation or project can play a role in supporting pollinators from tree planting schemes, that use native and well-adapted plants to support local pollinators, to farmland that chooses to go pesticide and herbicide free.
- Even small-scale actions, such as planting along a balcony or pocket park, can contribute significantly to supporting local pollinators by creating nectar pit-stops.
- Seeking guidance from experts, local environmental organisations, or other resources can help fill knowledge gaps and kickstart action.
- Signage is very important because it raises awareness and makes it clear that a site is being intentionally managed to support wildlife.
Our metrics
- The number of businesses/community groups/schools/local governments taking action for pollinators in the region
