BGS offers a huge range of clubs and activities for its pupils to get involved in, both at lunchtime and at the end of the school day. One of the most popular is Beekeeping Club, where pupils can spend time tending to BGS’s two hives of bees. Three members of the club – Issy, Holly and Amy – explain why they love it so much.
“Beekeeping Club is a really great opportunity. BGS offers so many things and we are lucky to have the chance to try them all. Our friends who aren’t at BGS can’t believe the opportunities we get to do things like this.
“This is our second year of going but we joined by accident! Not many people were at the club that day and Mr Goodland stopped us on our way out of lunch and asked if we’d like to try it. We thought ‘Why not?’ and put the suits on and went out on to the roof where the hives are. It was a really beautiful sunny day and so peaceful on the roof, it felt miles away from school lunchtime. We’ve been going ever since.
“The Club runs every Monday lunchtime and we go as often as we can. It’s nice as it’s seasonal; recently we’ve been working hard, collecting the frames from the hives and harvesting the honey. We have to cut the beeswax caps off the frames, then spin them in a centrifuge to get the honey out before it is put into jars, ready to be sold. In the winter, when the bees are hibernating, we make candles from the beeswax, and work as a team to plan the sales and marketing of the honey and candles we’ve produced.
“For the last two years we’ve completely sold out of everything. Last year we made around £350. The money goes back into Beekeeping Club and we are hoping this year we’ll raise enough to set up a third hive.
“Maybe it’s because we are close to the Royal Fort Gardens but BGS honey tastes lovely; it’s definitely different from honey you buy in supermarkets. There is something really rewarding about eating honey that you’ve collected yourself.”
