Redrow and Bumblebee Conservation Trust team up to save Britain's bumblebees

30^th April 2018

Redrow and the Bumblebee Conservation Trust celebrate next phase of their strategic partnership with educational event at the housebuilder’s Amington Green site. 

Redrow is working with the Bumblebee Conservation Trust to introduce nectar-rich plants to its developments and educating customers and communities on making their gardens bee friendly. 

Britain is home to 24 species of bumblebees and urgent action is needed to halt the decline of some species. 

Redrow, the leading housebuilder, and the Bumblebee Conservation Trust (BBCT) have announced a renewal of their strategic partnership to save Britain’s bumblebees. 

The organisations marked this announcement with an educational event for school children on Wednesday 25th April to celebrate Britain’s bumblebees at Redrow’s Amington Green development in Tamworth, Staffordshire. The launch coincides with the arrival of spring and the moment at which queen bumblebees begin to emerge from hibernation. 

Bumblebee populations in the UK have fallen by more than half since the 1980s according to research by the University of Reading. Factors for this decline are largely due to intensification of agriculture, pests and disease in wild pollinators, climate change and increased use of pesticides.   

Over the coming months, Redrow and the Trust will continue to work together at Redrow developments across the country to create habitats that allow bumblebee populations to flourish.  The two organisations will also roll-out their campaign to educate and inform Redrow customers and local communities on how they can get involved in helping the UK’s bumblebee populations. Redrow is creating bee-friendly show home gardens to inspire new customers to do the same and have also been providing free membership of the Bumblebee Conservation Trust to customers on selected developments across the country.

 

Commenting Rob Macdiarmid, Group Sustainability Director Redrow, said: 
“The UK’s bumblebee populations have fallen dramatically in recent years and it is of paramount importance that we do everything we can to prevent further decline. Joining forces with the Bumblebee Conservation Trust is a key way in which we hope to help save our bumblebees. From our celebratory event at Amington Gardens we will work hard to create bumblebee friendly habitats at our developments and educate the public on how they can better support Britain’s bumblebees. 

“At Redrow we are committed to creating communities by building responsibly and that includes establishing developments that enable wildlife to thrive. Ensuring that our sites have a biodiversity net-gain is one of our key priorities and being able to deliver new pollinator-friendly environments to help bumblebees flourish is a key part of this.” 

Commenting, Gill Perkins, CEO Bumblebee Conservation Trust said: 
"There is a surge of support and enthusiasm around the subject of pollination, particularly by the charismatic bumblebee. Through these charming insects, we can inspire young and mature alike to view bees as our friends who pollinate our crops, wildflowers and produce much of our food. Our partnership with Redrow is of great value and will enable us to create more bee-friendly habitats in and around their developments and through their customers making their gardens bee-friendly.”

To commemorate the partnership, Redrow colleague Pauline Turnbull, Sales Director, has written a book for children, Redrow Green: Bumblebee Cottage, which includes information on the UK’s different bumblebee species and the plants that they feed on.  This was read to the schoolchildren by TV presenter Naomi Wilkinson at the educational event and will then be disseminated by Redrow colleagues across the country.  

The housebuilder has already experienced success in supporting bumblebees at its Saxon Brook development in Exeter where it ran a pilot project to create a pollinator friendly environment. Redrow is doing the same at Ebbsfleet Green, part of Ebbsfleet Garden City the first garden city to be delivered in 100 years, by incorporating bee boxes and pollinator friendly plants into the landscaping. Creating an environment that enables bees to flourish.