You may know how important honey bees are for pollinating food crops and the environment, but you may not know about the amazing life of bees in their hive. In this short course you will gain insight into the life of a honey bee colony, and understand what beekeeping involves.

During this workshop you will learn in a hands-on way about the life of a honey bee colony, exploring the ins and outs of a hive and running through the stages of hive activity through the year.

A demonstration hive will allow you to also experience the textures and smells of the inside of a hive.

We will talk through the equipment needed to keep bees, and for those who are thinking about it, talk through steps to keeping your own bees.

After refreshments, we will be pulling on protective bee gear, and gaining some hands on experience with the Make Hamilton bee hives. You will have the opportunity to hold a frame of live bees, and gain confidence in handling a colony.

All equipment/ protective bee suits will be provided, but please come wearing long sleeved tops, full length trousers and closed shoes (i.e. no sandals).

Through the session, we will talk about the products from the hive, and you will have the chance to experience these including honey combs and extracted wax.

Each person will leave with a jar of our Hamilton Honey.

The session is led by John, who started keeping bees over 15 years ago, and is responsible for looking after the hives at Make Hamilton.

FAQs:

Are there ID or minimum age requirements to enter the event?

Any child under 16 must be accompanied by an adult and we operate a no under 10 policy.

What are my transportation/parking options for getting to and from the event?

By Train:

We are a stone’s throw away from Hamilton Square train station which is just a short walk down Cleveland street and accessible from all inner city Liverpool Stations and all Wirral line stations.

By Bus:

There are numerous bus stops nearby and around the Hamilton Square area, all just short walks away from our space. These include numbers: 41, 216, 217, 409, 410, 411, 413, 414, 423, 811 and several others.

By Car:

Follow the signs for Hamilton Square. We don’t have any designated parking for visitors but there is a range of paid and free parking close by.

Paid parking:

– Cleveland Street

– Prince Street

– Elgin Way

– Duncan Street

– Hinson Street

More on wirral.gov.uk/parking-roads-and-travel

Free and unlimited parking:

– Russell Street (5 min walk)

– Brooke Street East (5 min walk)

Parking becomes free and unlimited after 6:30pm.

Downloading the Just Park app on your mobile device will allow for more efficient and cheaper parking payments.

How accessible is the venue?

The workshop is located on the ground floor which provides full accessibility to the premises including toilet provisions.

Where can I contact the organiser with any questions?

Feel free to get in touch with the Make CIC office at 0151 601 8665 or email hello@makecic.org

Is my registration/ticket transferrable?

If you find that you cannot attend then you are welcome to pass your place on to a friend who may find it useful. Please let the organiser know if you need to do this.

Alternatively tickets can be transferred to a future event up to 7 days before the event.

Do I have to bring my printed ticket to the event?

No, a register will be taken at the workshop, it isn’t necessary to print your ticket.

What is the refund/cancellation policy?

Refunds will be offered in the event of the class being cancelled – in this instance we will give as much notice as possible, usually at least 5 days, and offer alternative dates if appropriate.

This class does have a minimum requirement of ticket sales to proceed, so there is a possibility of it being cancelled, but we will contact you five days before if this is the case.

If for any reason you find you are unable to attend then please get in touch and a refund can be offered up to 7 days before the workshop.

This is because we pay our practitioners fair wages for their work- giving refunds on last minute cancellations would mean that practitioners would not be paid for the preparation they have put into their classes.

*Refunds will be given minus Eventbrite fees, unless Make CIC cancel the class, in which case a full refund will be given*

The name on the registration/ticket doesn’t match the attendee. Is that okay?

Please bring along a print out of your ticket if the registration does not match the attendee, or contact hello@makecic.org to have them change the ticket so it contains your name.

What can I bring into the event?

You don’t need to bring anything but yourself. All materials are provided.

Wear comfortable clothing and feel free to bring along a drink or a snack! We also have an on site café selling tea, coffee, cakes and snacks.