Coventry University praised for its inspiring efforts to support bees

Coventry University’s exceptional work to help pollinators thrive in the city has been recognised with a top award from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

The Bees Needs Champions Award celebrates the work the university has done to transform the green space between the Delia Derbyshire building and Starley Gardens on Cox Street.

It is a significant achievement, particularly for a city centre campus and coincided with the city centre campus also retaining its prestigious Green Flag status.

The newly refurbished space has been created as a pollinator corridor connecting to a pollinator hub in the centre of the campus, providing nutrition and homes for pollinators while helping them to disperse into new areas, contributing to a healthier ecosystem. It consists of a pictorial meadow with 34 wildflower species, edible hedge, native trees and hedges, and biodiverse herbaceous planting.

Jamie Whitehouse, Grounds and Public Realm Manager, accepted the accolade on behalf of the university from Mary Creagh, Defra’s Minister for Nature at The Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew.

This is not the first time Coventry University has been presented with the Bees Needs Award, with the university’s edible garden close to the Hub building previously celebrated for its role as a pollinator hub.

Last year the university was also presented with two prestigious sustainability honours, The Green Gown Higher Education Sustainability Excellence Award, in the category of Nature Positive, and the Green Flag Best Climate Adaption Project.

The awards recognised the removal of two prominent buildings to make way for new greenspaces, providing a fruit theme throughout, wildflower meadows, biodiverse friendly planting, tree planting, informal social spaces, sculpture and new stunning views of the iconic Coventry Cathedral.

Find out more about Coventry University’s Green Gown and Green Flag Awards.