A Lanarkshire beekeeping group is buzzing after receiving beneficiant funding to up their honey manufacturing.
Avondale Group Beekeepers had been awarded a £3000 grant from Banks Renewables’ Kype Muir Wind Farm Group Fund, which has enabled them to buy two new honey extractors.
This may enhance their honey manufacturing by 20 per cent on account of saving time within the manufacturing course of.
Having beforehand used a time-consuming and labour-intensive guide extraction course of, the 2 new machines have lower the group’s manufacturing time down by half, leading to much more harvested honey.
The extractors are additionally extra sustainable, with the Avondale Beekeepers in a position to clear honey off the frames extra successfully and consequently, reuse them.
The group, which has been working since 2015, performs host to round 44 hives, that are situated within the gardens of its 14 members’ properties round South Lanarkshire. Every hive can home between 20,000 and 60,000 bees at anyone time.
Stewart Wilson, member of the Avondale Beekeepers committee mentioned: “The brand new honey extractors have modified the sport for us - not solely can we now harvest extra honey, it has saved us baggage of time within the course of.
“The help from Banks Renewables actually has been crucial in permitting us to fabricate honey in a simpler approach. For instance, we are able to now reuse our frames season after season, making us much more eco-friendly throughout the board.
“With this new know-how, we're in a position to proceed to thrive as a gaggle while additionally growing the biodiversity of the realm and persevering with to help the declining species. We're very grateful to Banks for supporting us with that.”
By housing bees throughout its South Lanarkshire hives, the group is hoping to fight the decline of the honeybee – a species answerable for over 50 per cent of the annual pollination of all crops, produce, fruits, flowers, shrubs and timber in Scotland.
Avondale Group Beekeepers has members – and hives - in Chapelton, Glassford, Sandford and Stonehouse, to call a number of – with the £3000 being cut up equally throughout the assorted places.
Robert Craig, KMCP member who additionally performs a key function within the Avondale Group Beekeepers added: “It's glorious to see the sheer advantages that the KMCP fund can carry. Serving to initiatives like this thrive in the local people is more and more essential within the present financial local weather.”
The Kype Muir Wind Farm Group Fund - which gives monetary help to group teams, voluntary organisations and communities - is a part of Hamilton-based Banks Renewables’ Connect2Renewables initiative, through which the household agency commits to maximising the financial, social and environmental advantages of all its wind farms in South Lanarkshire.
Robin Winstanley, sustainability and exterior affairs supervisor at Banks Renewables, defined: “By taking care of bees and serving to the species to thrive within the native space, the Avondale Group Beekeepers is making an important contribution to the setting with this spectacular venture.
“The group’s values in sustainability, group and biodiversity match very carefully with ours right here at Banks, so it made whole sense to award them funding generated from our Kype Muir Wind Farm. We’re delighted to have the ability to help one other glorious native venture.”
Do not miss the most recent headlines from round Lanarkshire. Signal as much as our newsletters right here.
And do you know Lanarkshire Dwell is on Fb? Head on over and provides us a like and share!