Mayor of Runnymede Cllr Mrs Linda Gillham visited the CoR – EESC Bee initiative on the 28th June 2012.  This initiative is very similar to that initiated in June by the new Mayor of Runnymede. 

Mayor Gillham: said  "this year in Runnymede I have chosen to use my position of Mayor to raise the profile of bees and other pollinators which are so threatened. I hope to make residents more aware of how they can help bees by planting nectar rich plants and will raise some money to buy these plants for schools and youth groups who are prepared to plant them in school gardens. I have already met many bee keepers in the area and far more people who are interested in helping to provide food for our pollinators. This is a very popular cause.”

Photo: Mayor of Runnymede Cllr Mrs Linda Gillham and Micheal O Conchuir, Secretary General of the EA group in the CoR

Mayor Gillham added that by seeing the Committee of the Regions place two hives is very interesting as it clearly demonstrates that in diverse parts of the European Union the problems of the reducing population of bees needs to be addressed.