Longridge primary school receives honey dipper donation from local developer

Students at Barnacre Road Primary School with their honey dippers

A developer has donated wooden honey dippers to Barnacre Road Primary School to encourage its students to learn about wildlife.

Barnacre Road Primary School, located near Barratt Homes’ Bowland Meadow development, distributed the honey dippers as part of a day that teaches children about the environment.

The days allow the children to share and display interests and skills that are not always seen in school, allowing them to develop an awareness of their local area and become knowledgeable about local plants and animals.

As part of the fun activities planned, the children decorated their honey dippers to show them off to other pupils in the school.

Barnacre pupils showing off their honey dippers

Fiona Heppenstall, Deputy Headteacher at Barnacre Road Primary School, said: “The children enjoyed creating various mini-beasts and creatures from the honey dippers that were donated.

“They were very happy to find a special place on the school grounds for their ‘honey dipper’ creature. We would like to thank Barratt Homes for their kind donation.

“The children loved exploring creative ways to make their honey stick unique and special. They have brightened our school gardens and provided interest around school, with children hunting for honey stick bugs!”

There are over 250 bee species in the UK, including 25 species of bumblebee, 224 species of solitary bee, and one species of honeybee. There has been a significant decline in the population numbers of bees since 1980 due to factors such as disease, climate change, pesticides, and habitat loss.

The pupils have been learning about the environment

Bees are not only a crucial part of our ecosystem, but they also contribute to the world economy. In 2017, it was reported that pollinators are adding up to £600 million per year to the value of UK crops through increased yield and quality.

Neil Goodwin, Managing Director at Barratt Homes Manchester, said: “Bees are an important part of our planet, and it is vital that we use our voice to encourage people to protect them as much as possible.

“We are pleased to hear that the children at Barnacre Primary School enjoyed the donation of honey sticks and incorporated them into lessons about the local ecosystem. We would encourage others to follow their example and learn as much as they can about bees and other wildlife.”

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