Why are Bees so important?
Bees pollinate a third of everything we eat and play a vital role in sustaining the planet’s ecosystems. Some 84% of the crops grown for human consumption – around 400 different types of plants – need bees and other insects to pollinate them to increase their yields and quality. These include most fruits and vegetables, many nuts, and plants such as rapeseed and sunflowers that are turned into oil, as well as cocoa beans, coffee and tea. - Benjamin, A. 'Why are bees important? You asked Google – here’s the answer'
Our Story
In 2018 during a short holiday in Cornwall we came across a tired bumble bee on the pavement. We knew the drill, but typically did not have the sugar water solution the Bee needed to hand. We could not just walk by and leave the Bee, so we carefully picked it up with our sleeves and went to a nearby café who were willing to help. They quickly mixed up a sugar water solution on a spoon before leaving it next to the Bee outside. We watched the Bee take a few sips before gathering enough energy to buzz away.
It was on this day that the idea of BEEVIVE was born, a simple keyring 'revival kit' you can have on your keys, close-by next time you come across a tired Bee.
We first released this product at the Exeter Vegan Market on the 16th of March 2019, we were overwhelmed by the amount of positive feedback we received that day, backed up by an encouraging number of sales.
Since the release we have continued to sell, but have unfortunately experienced first hand, the fragile nature of the prototype. With your help we will be able to turn our idea into a retail standard, one of a kind keyring!
What we have
What we have created is essentially a prototype, we have made it look as attractive as possible, whilst trying to make it as practical as possible. We need not only to raise awareness that our product exists, but to develop it into something that can be worn on a key chain with out the danger of it breaking or coming loose.
Reusable
We wanted to create a product that could be bought once, and refilled over and over by the consumer.
The glass prototype can be used over and over, it will however deteriorate over time due to the nature of its fragile and natural materials. The new and improved keyring will be an aluminium, watertight capsule style keyring with a cork top glass vial stored safely inside.
What we will do with the money raised
The money raised will be put towards developing the current product, sourcing a manufacturer who can create and supply a custom, water tight and impact resistant keyring that anyone can wear. It will also be put towards marketing the product on various platforms, raising awareness for not only the product, but the actions that can be taken to help Bees and their declining population.
By investing in us, we will be able to supply a product that can be bought once, and used for a lifetime, saving countless bees in the process.
We promise that should this funding be successful, we will donate £1 from each keyring purchase to bee related charities for the first 6 months of sales, following that we will continue to give profits to charity, but will broaden the scope of charities we give to.
The water tight aluminium casing protects a small cork top vial which will come filled with a premixed sugar water solution that once used, can simply be refilled at home.
- Refill yourself at home
- Holds Approximately 5 Bee servings
We have the idea, a good idea. Please help us develop it and get everyone wearing one of these keyrings.
Looking Forward
We dont want to just stop at making keyrings, getting Beevive off the ground is just the beginning, we want to explore the possibilities of how this keyring can be made, what it can be made from, and who it can be made by. What do we mean?
Can it be made from bamboo? Can it be made by hand? The opportunities we might be able to create for others by getting beevive going are endless, and we are excited to see what the future holds for the keyring, and our future product range!
REWARDS
Our Bee friends over at ASHLANTIS have been kind enough to donate a number of their Bumble Bee Tees in various sizes and colour, Pledge £50 or more and you'll receive a Tee in your specified size, and a keyring of your choice!
Black Edition Keyring
Pledge £10 or more and you'll receive the Black Edition of the Beevive keyring.
Gold Edition Keyring
Pledge £10 or more and you'll receive the Gold Edition of the Beevive keyring.