Bees bring joy to Bradbury House
A sweet taste was left in the mouth of all those at Bradbury House care home in Gosforth, with residents offered the chance to get up close and personal with a hive of bees.
Libby, from organisation Bees in the Trees, which runs forest school-style sessions for schools, youth groups and care homes, originally visited Bradbury House in the spring, where she delivered a presentation about birds, challenged the residents to identify different birdsongs and helped them to make their own feeders for the garden.
Activities coordinator, Jackie Kenyon, recounts, “The residents loved the session so much that we couldn’t wait to invite Libby to visit again.
“At the next opportunity in the summer she brought in some of her bees which she keeps. This was a fascinating session, and residents were able to see the bees up close in their glass ‘travel hive’. They could place their hands on the glass and feel the heat and vibrations. Libby talked about the activities of the bees within the hive and explained how they make honey.
“In a follow-up session, she brought in all the equipment and showed us how she extracts honey from the hives and helped the residents to make their own beeswax candle each. Of course, we enjoyed tasting the honey as well!”
The encounters with the bees and honey-making demonstration clearly delighted the residents, who found it an exciting and educational experience. One resident said there were “lots of things I didn’t know about bees,” and another remarked, “I didn’t know how much work went into making honey – and it tasted delicious!”
Libby said, “My sessions give the residents the opportunity to engage with nature and recall things that they have previously enjoyed. I particularly love it when something I bring, say, or do, resonates with their past. One lady told me that her son is a beekeeper and remembered how she used to watch him catch swarms of bees, and another gentleman told me about how he used to make bee frames for his father’s hives. I think in both these cases, my sessions allowed the residents to relive happy memories.”
Libby’s latest visit in September was to run a leaf workshop, enabling residents to identify different types of leaves, have a go at leaf printing and make some bunting and posters.
Jackie added, “Libby’s visits are always very interesting and informative, and the residents love seeing her – especially now that she’s a regular visitor. Her workshops are a ‘starting block’ for the residents to start engaging with others and talking about their memories. It’s always lovely to see them connect and participate in activities.”
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