Celebrating villages, towns and cities; plus community groups, schoolchildren and businesses, across England, for their bee-friendly initiatives.
When it comes to being Bee Friendly, there’s much more to it than simply creating wildlife areas.
Although, of course, sowing banks of wildflowers and putting up bee hotels definitely help.
In addition to new habitats to call home, bees and pollinators need Champions to fly their flag on a regular basis – raising awareness of the crucial role they play and rallying the support of all those around them.
When we launched our Bee Friendly Awards in 2021, to celebrate the bee-friendly achievements of towns and cities around the country, we were blown away by the creative initiatives and traditions that were taking place, that went above and beyond the ordinary.
Yes, they had wildflowers and bee hotels. But they also had collaborative, pollinator focused community events. There were businesses that pledged to donate to bee-supporting causes. Schools that crafted bee-themed items in class – to sell as fundraising ventures. Pubs with beer gardens planted specifically for bees. Groups of friends doing sponsored walks in aid of pollinators.
The list goes on.
We realised that being Bee Friendly is also about team spirit and working towards a united goal of future-proofing for pollinators.
So this is what the Bee Friendly Awards celebrate:
2022 saw Alresford (Essex), Arundel (West Sussex), Kenilworth (Warwickshire), Leek (Staffordshire), Tring (Hertfordshire) and Wimborne (Dorset) become the first towns to receive Bee Friendly status. With eight more awards granted in 2023, nine in 2024, nine in 2025 and seven in 2026, including villages, housing developments and stations (meet them all, below). 2027 will see our Awards become even bigger and better. Could you be one of our next winners?
We’ll be opening for entries for our Bee Friendly Awards 2027 on World Bee Day (20 May 2027). So you have plenty of time to consolidate your current bee-friendly initiatives and to launch new ones.
Want your community or group or project to be one of the next awarded?
Visit our Bee-Friendly Resources section for information and ideas on how to be Bee Friendly or read about how local councils can help conserve bees and other pollinators. You could even download and display our Bee Friendly Awards poster to recruit support in your area.
Fancy making an extra special bug hotel? We have a category for the Bug Hotel of the Year, which you could apply to.
On World Bee Day, we’ll kick our 2027 Awards off with a launch event in London. Our application form will then become available to download, along with new resources to provide inspiration and support for bee-friendly projects, crafts and activities that you could try. Winners will receive a bespoke Bee Friendly Award trophy, a certificate and a number of additional bee-friendly items. plus a place in our Bee Friendly Hall of Fame. There will be an Awards ceremony this year, where you’re hard work will be celebrated, and where you’ll be able to meet your fellow Bee Friendly Award winners.
So watch this space for more updates and let’s celebrate the work you’re doing for bees and pollinators, together.
If entering isn’t right for you, perhaps you might consider sponsoring the Awards? Contact us today, to discuss the sponsorship packages on offer.
Want to become a Bee Friendly Business?
We are working with businesses, across England to make them more bee friendly.
And it’s more than simply giving them all a green roof.
We will work with your business, large or small, to enable you to achieve Bee Friendly status and an award.
The award can be used to demonstrate your Biodiversity Net Gain or support a Section 106 agreement.
So, if you’re a pub, a law firm, a government department or a developer, contact emma@beefriendlytrust.org for more information.
