Bee Keeping at The Wash House Garden
The Wash House Garden were a recipient of our Food and Climate Action fund. Read on to find out more about them and what they've been doing with their £1.5k.
About them
The Wash House Garden is a small but bustling garden situated in Glasgow’s East End. We’re a small group of staff who rely on the invaluable contribution of volunteers to run a thriving market and community garden which produces a rich variety of crops though the growing season.
Through our twice-weekly volunteer sessions, we build community around the therapeutic and physically active process of growing and horticulture. At these sessions we share a pot luck lunch together which allows us to connect to each other and the food we produce and consume.
We run a busy community events schedule, with free workshops every month and a community meal which helps us to reach those who might otherwise struggle to access the garden, and again to bond over some delicious food!
The community garden was established in 2018 and The Wash House Garden CIC began using the space in 2021. We run a small veg box scheme, providing nutritious and hyperlocal food to the people of Glasgow. We sell directly to restaurants, hire out the canopy space and run paid workshops alongside our free events. Our aim is to make the garden sustainable as a long term provider of fresh produce, and as an important social space where people can come to relax, connect and grow together.
About their Food and Climate Action funded project
With the funding from GCFN we will deliver a free, hands-on beekeeping course. Over ten weeks we will cover the fundamentals of looking after bees, their impact on the environment and how to harvest honey!
Our experienced beekeeper will guide participants through hive inspections at the beginning of each session, demonstrating the handling of a live beehive, highlighting the things to look out for and describe the responsibilities of the beekeeper. From there, we will discuss the social dynamics and environmental impacts that bees display. The aim is to introduce new entrants into the exciting, but not always easy to access, world of beekeeping. By the end of the program participants will be confident in the fundamentals of beekeeping and handling a hive.
Additionally, we will run sessions on using honey medicinally, showing participants how to use it as a medium and in its own right as a health product. And a session specifically devoted to biodiversity, and the practical steps that can be taken to increase insect life in an urban setting.
Contact
Website: thewashhousegarden.co.uk
Instagram: @thewashhousegarden
Facebook: @thewashhousegarden
Awarded in June, 10 groups across Glasgow each received £1500 to put towards existing or new projects related to food and climate in their communities. This was made possible thanks to funding from The National Lottery Community Fund.
