Project: Rooftop beehives

Organisation: Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT)

What was the issue?

Green and accessible spaces for staff and patients are important for wellbeing and biodiversity. Developments and activities in urban environments can cause pollution and natural habitat degradation, which negatively impacts local biodiversity, community health and wellbeing, resilience to climate change, food security and ecosystem conservation.

What action was taken?

Rooftop beehives were first installed at the MFT Oxford Road campus in 2017 to encourage staff to connect with nature through beekeeping and to aid biodiversity preservation. Currently, there are four beehives to maintain which are looked after by a small group of staff volunteers. Bee-keeping training is provided to new cohorts of volunteers, ensuring they are operating safely whilst maintaining the MFT hives, but also inspire them to utilise their bee husbandry skills at home or in the community to further benefit biodiversity. The honey is extracted annually and sold to staff for £10 a jar, with all proceeds being channelled back into the project to purchase equipment and consumables for the volunteer team. In 2023, 110 pounds of honey was produced by the rooftop hives.

What was the Delivering a Net Zero NHS benefit? 

This biodiversity project does not directly contribute to carbon reductions, but the rooftop hives are supporting pollination and improving local biodiversity.  This is a widely celebrated project among the workforce, engaging and inspiring staff to take more targeted sustainability action locally. The project also helps patients and community members to appreciate the commitment of the Trust to protecting the environment, raising the visibility of sustainable healthcare.   

What are the wider benefits?

Bees fly up to 3 miles away from their hives, so the MFT rooftop hives are supporting pollination and improving local biodiversity across central Manchester. Those staff who volunteer on the project report beekeeping as a real stress release from the busy hospital environment, providing an opportunity for social connection with others in the Trust sustainability community.

Further information: AnnualSustainabilityReport_2022.pdf (mft.nhs.uk)

Key contact and email: alex.scoular@mft.nhs.uk