A short video showcasing Manchester Cathedral Bees by Adam York Gregory Manchester Cathedral Bees from Adam York Gregory on Vimeo. Bee Hive Cameras We currently have two bee hive cameras upon the flat roof of Manchester Cathedral, click on the play button below to view the bees and their hives. Heavenly […]Read More
Sir David Richards has become a patron of Volition Community following a visit last year to see the work of this charity. Welcoming Sir David, the Dean of Manchester thanked Sir David for his commitment to this programme which runs from Manchester and Liverpool Cathedrals. Sir David, encouraged at the outcomes of this programme of […]Read More
What a difference a year makes! As I wander through the silence of the Cathedral, making my way to the spiral staircase that will take me to the roof, I am reminded that only a year ago we were celebrating Manchester City’s Premier League title win. The Cathedral was bustling with people and equipment the […]Read More
Joshua Crutchley has recently completed some work experience with Volition. He recently had the opportunity to sit down with Volition’s new beekeepers, Catherine Charnock and Diane Drinkwater, to find out more about their journeys in to beekeeping, and what inspired them to work at Volition.
Catherine Charnock – Volition Beekeeper
Catherine has a husband and two children, aged 21 and 16. As well as being a beekeeper at Volition, she is a treasurer for Medlock Bees and has been working with Diane for four years. Catherine worked in the media before starting at Volition as a beekeeper.
Catherine is fascinated by insects in general, though bees have always been her favourite. She had always had an interest in beekeeping, though it was Diane who inspired her to give it a try. Catherine wanted to find a hobby for her son, who was aged 12. Over time, that hobby grew, and he has now progressed to beekeeping as part of his enrichment at college.
The thing Cath enjoys the most about beekeeping is seeing other people’s reactions to the hives for the first time. Beekeeping feels like having “50,000 pets all in one box!” If you are a volunteer who is interested in trying beekeeping, Catherine would ask you “what size suit do you wear?”
Diane Drinkwater – Volition Beekeeper
Diane is a mother of one and runs her own business. A passionate beekeeper, she is a Trustee for the British Beekeepers Association, the Secretary for Medlock bees, and the proud owner of six hives. Next summer, Diane will take her Advanced Husbandry exam, allowing her to become a Master Beekeeper.
Diane’s neighbour introduced her to beekeeping in the summer of 2012. The thing Diane likes the most about beekeeping is “that feeling you get when you spot the queen or you see eggs, or you just know that your hives are doing really well.”
Diane saw the vacancy for a beekeeper at Volition in January of this year. She was interested, and persuaded Catherine to apply for the role with her, as a beekeeping duo. To anybody interested in trying beekeeping, Diane would say “come have a go, it’s the best activity in the world.”
In her spare time, Diane enjoys writing poetry and short stories, something she has enjoyed since she was 11 years old. She has written approximately 50,000 pages of writing for her website! Diane has had an allotment at the back of her house since 2011 and claims that “it’s been an endless source of fun, amusement, horror, and frustration, depending on if slugs are annoying you!”
A message from Josh: thank you to Catherine and Diane for giving me the opportunity to have a chat with them and learn more about them.