Ramsey Grammar School: Beekeeping project given £2,500 lottery grant

Ramsey Grammar School plans to produce its own honey as part of the project

A project which aims to educate school pupils on the Isle of Man about beekeeping has been given a £2,500 grant from the Manx Lottery Trust.

The money is being used to fund the beehives and buy protective equipment at Ramsey Grammar School.

Assistant head teacher William Wood said pupils were "excited" to be able to help "contribute to increasing the healthy bee population".

Primary school pupils in the area would also work on the project, he said.

Four staff members at the high school have been trained to look after the hives by the Isle of Man Federation of Beekeepers, with a further eight keen to get involved.

The school plans to produce its own honey as part of the initiative.

Mr Wood said: "This project is particularly poignant at the moment because the Isle of Man is free from Varroa destructor, which is decimating the bee population of the UK."

Trust chairman Sarah Kelly said the project would be a "great educational tool for both pupils and the wider community".