The idea of a community apiary is simple, but it is often misunderstood.

People hear the term and assume it is just a place where bees are kept. While that is part of it, a community apiary is less about the hives themselves and more about what happens around them.

At its core, it is a shared space where people come together to learn, take part, and look after bees as a group.

Most businesses understand that sustainability matters. It is no longer a niche concern or something reserved for larger organisations. Customers expect it, employees value it, and it increasingly shapes how companies are viewed. The challenge is not awareness, but knowing what to do in a way that is meaningful, visible, and genuinely beneficial. Supporting biodiversity is often mentioned in reports and policies, but far less often translated into real, local action.

Beekeeping is something many people are curious about, but very few actually try. It often feels out of reach, something that requires land, expensive equipment, and years of experience. For most, that is enough to stop the idea before it begins.

The same barriers came up again and again. Cost, lack of space, and not having anyone to learn from. Beekeeping was something people liked the idea of, but very few felt able to actually start.

Instead of ignoring that, the decision was made to test a different approach.

Beekeeping is often talked about in terms of honey production or environmental impact, but for many people, the personal benefits are just as important.

Something new is taking shape in Lowestoft. With support from the Suffolk Community Foundation, The Place to Bee is transforming an overlooked space into a shared garden and community apiary where people can connect through nature, at their own pace.

A look at how Biffa Bees is helping Project Apis CIC grow pollinator-friendly spaces through donated wildflower seeds and fruit trees

Over the past few months, we’ve invited schools, care homes, community organisations, and artists across Norfolk to help us decorate the hives used in our community apiaries. The result? Dozens of vibrant, hand-painted beehives—each one telling a different story, and each one built with pride, not just for the bees, but for the people who shaped them.