There’s a new buzz around a community garden on the Meadow Well estate in North Shields where bees are being used to help combat social isolation, improve confidence and build new skills post-Covid.
The five-acre hidden space at the heart of the North Tyneside estate is playing host to a unique new business, Pure Buzzin, launched by Stephen Douglas as a community interest company last year in response to the Covid lockdowns.
Since then Stephen, 32, and a group of volunteers have built 10 beehives in the garden, which have become a focal point for locals looking to re-engage with nature in an otherwise busy urban location next to the Meadow Well Metro station. The hives of more than 50,000 honey bees form the basis of a community-centred programme which is teaching a wide range of skills to Meadow Well residents, including carpentry and beekeeping.
