The Bee Cause

British bees are in trouble. Three species are already extinct. And bees and other pollinating insects are vital to many of our favourite foods. Without natural pollinators the growing of food crops becomes far more expensive and also many species of natural plants - like wildflowers - will disappear. We are raising public awareness of the issue through a series of high profile and fun actions, like the current circulation of bee-friendly wild flower seeds which people can scatter in their gardens or in parks and public spaces. If you haven't already done so, please sign the petition asking David Cameron to create a National Bee Action Plan.

In Leicester, we are raising awareness of what people can do at home to encourage bees and also seeking to widen the debate into the causes of insect decline - among which the use of certain insecticides and other intensive agriculture practices must surely feature prominently. We have our own local petition to the City Council to manage the green spaces in the city in a bee-friendly way - please sign our petition online or visit one of our stalls to sign the paper petition.

We are also working with the City Council to plant a bee-friendly meadow on a grass verge beside Troon Way. We took Andy Atkins to visit the site when he visited Leicester in February and a Leicester Mercury photographer came to take photos of Andy posing with two giant bees. We will be planting seeds in April.