BEE SIXTY-EIGHT
THE BIRTHPLACE OF THE HIVE EFFECT
Bee Sixty-Eight is a foundation stone of The Hive Effect project, not just because of its geological location and the resources it contains, but because it was where the project was born.
Bee Sixty-Eight is a former allotment site that was abandoned for over 30 years until we applied to Sandwell Council to secure it over 7 years ago.
We are still trying to this day, but Sandwell Council sold it from under our feet. They have repeatedly deceived us and lied to us.
Conmen behave like this.
Abandoned
Under Threat from Development after 40 years
Wasted valuable community assets like these are becoming few and far between here in Sandunwell, where housing developments are seemingly permitted faster than community environmental projects, but this practice only benefits the greedy and the corrupt.
The Hive Effect will challenge these imbalances until change happens.
Ge Active. Get Involved. Get Heard. Make Change with us.
Neglected
The River Tame! Yes, the brook at the Billies is a River!
In the 1980's there were toads, frogs, bullfrogs and newts in and around these waters. The grass banks were full of crickets, grasshoppers, butterflies and moths. There were local children playing games and riding bikes around the tracks, but now they're all gone!
The Hive Effect will restore balance. We can do better.
Not Forgotten
To understand local, you have to be a local.
I have lived here all of my life and I have always wondered why more hasn't been done to maintain and utilise the spaces and resources we have locally, here in this part of Sandwell.
Many people that now live in the area do not fully understand just how industrialised these lands once were, where we now live, and that the small pockets of open land that remain have evolved over decades to survive with the harsh chemical, heavy industrial, toxic and hazardous waste they were left with. They provided sanctuary to the sparse wildlife that was left, whilst also being able to provide some sort of sanctuary, space, and freedom for those of us who lived here and still do.
The toad pools, bullfrogs, frogs, newts, hedgehogs, hares, rabbits, dragonflies, and bats somehow survived the industrial revolution, an era of abysmal living and working conditions, where even humans struggled to survive, however, in just over 25 years these animals have all but gone and so have many of the habitats that supported them during their dying years.
These creatures, animals, amphibians, and insects that evolved over millennia, survived the industrial revolution, yet they didn’t make it past the end of the 1990’s! It posed the question "what did we do that was actually worse than our legacy, worse than the industrial revolution"?
I haven't forgotten, and in some ways I feel partly responsible, which is why I created The Hive Effect in the first place. We need to replace what we have lost, before we can't.
Graham Walker - Founder of The Hive Effect
Has it Come to This?
Over 35 years ago, this parcel of land was an allotment. Since then, it has stood abandoned, abused, and unused. We applied to use this land 10 years ago to no avail. We found documents supporting the councils ownership of the land and we applied again over 5 years ago to no avail. Today, according to Land Registry Documents, a large portion of the land has been sold off to a private landlord/ housebuilder.
Or Can We Be Better?
The Hive Effect has built an environment of support and helpful resources to make sure that the wellbeing of our wildlife and community is always a priority. Our success is driven by the hearts, minds, and souls of our community, and we know that together we can make a truly remarkable, positive impact. Come and join us.
Advocacy
Advocacy is an essential pillar of our Environmental Protection Movement. There is strength in numbers, and we work to inform and encourage others to take a stand for what they believe in. Join us in our mission to create more biodiverse, sustainable communities.
THIS SPACE IS ABOUT
TO CONTAIN ALL OF THE DETAILS, OF ALL OF THE PARTIES INVOLVED, IN THE SELLING, BUYING, AND DEALING OF THIS LAND. WE TRIED TO TELL THEM NOT TO SELL IT.
Unless Sandwell Council can provide evidence that support the full legal and justified decisions for doing so, bearing in mind that they never knew it belonged to them until we bought it to their attention! We NEED allotments. We have none.
WELCOME TO BEE SIXTY-EIGHT THE BILLIES
THE WAY IT SHOULD BE
The Apiaries
Learn from the experts of society
Our mission is to inspire and promote impactful solutions to some of the most critical issues we face through the power of engagement. Our apiaries vary from site to site, with each having unique characteristics, but all of them fulfilling the same purpose. Education is key here, and our apiaries are within short walking distances for primary schools for that very reason. It is the reason we have hubs at these locations too. How nice is that?
Food For All
Food. We don't need to go into detail about the global food chain but mentioning the cost, the shortage, and the demand is something that affects us at a local level. The Hive Effect can alleviate some of those problems by making fresh produce available to local people who may never have had access to such produce before.
This IS Food For All - Join In and Dig In!
Next Level Education
For the engineers out there, for the inventors and the problem solvers, we have some projects to whet your appetite too. They are all very hush right now but all will be revealed at our launch. It may turn out that you have an idea that is the best idea ever and you want to shout about it. Contact us by pressing the button below.
This Is Permaculture
The Ethics on which permaculture are built:
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"Care of Earth: Provision for all life systems to continue to multiply"
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"Care of People: Provision for people to access those resources necessary for their existence"
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"Set limits to consumption and reproduction, and redistribute surplus"
Interested Parties
Our ideas have attracted so much attention from local businesses keen to explore our ideas further. These businesses are amongst the best in their fields and they like what we're doing.
And we thought we had some interesting concepts!
Call back when we launch and all will be revealed.
If you have an idea or you have thought to yourself "why hasn't anyone tried this before", then contact us by pressing the button below to get heard.
There Are Boundaries
The land is triangle in shape with borders to the railway embankment n the NW, a tree-lined border and the River Tame to the NE, and Penncricket Lane is to the South. The railway embankment boundary is protected entirely by an 8ft steel palisade fence. The Penncricket Lane boundary is a 5ft green mesh wire fence with godfather posts and a hawthorn hedge. The boundary to the river tame, has no defined border or fence, however, there is a row of trees/ bushes and shrubs that give an idea of the boundary line.
Help us to save this open space along with other important spaces within our communities by pressing the button below.
