Worcestershire Parkway Station has become more environmentally friendly with new bee homes.

The Worcestershire Community Rail Partnership received £1,000 from the Community Rail Development Fund to involve local school children and create new bee-friendly homes.

Traditional beehives called skeps were reimagined, and covered in creative designs, creating a unique display for the station.

Thanks to a partnership with Platform (a rail education scheme), Community Rail Network, the Bee Friendly Trust and Great Western Railway, the Bee Friendly Skep Project could be carried out in the form of 8 bee skeps.

These dome-shaped skeps are made out of biodegradable materials such as dried grasses, meaning they have very little environmental footprint. These skeps also encourage habitat diversity through their materials and housing stronger bees.

The money received was put towards hosting educational workshops for pupils from Norton Juxta Kempsey CofE Primary School and Honeybourne Primary School.

Pupils were part of three workshops, learning about the importance of bees to the ecosystem and their conservation. Students then got hands-on with some gardening at the station and, with professional artists, helped create the designs for the skeps.

The artists involved included Sarah Hoyle, Maddie Moate, Alice Baker, Lucy Caddel, Hattie Gordon, and Esther Rushton.

Passengers can spot these skeps through till June 2025.

This project is another step in Worcestershire Community Rail Partnership’s commitment to increasing sustainable travel and creating local projects. They are not only working to improve stations but also to raise awareness on the growing issues of biodiversity and conservation.

Having a suitable habitat surrounded by flowers will help bees to survive, which anyone can get involved in by creating your own bee hotels.