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First VGP honey goes to charity

November 02 2022

A year after the launch of the project, VGP Foundation collected the first honey produced in one of the VGP parks in Spain. Read more to learn about its way to children in vulnerable family situations.

In June 2021, VGP Foundation, in cooperation with Aristeu, installed 5 beehives on the rooftop of the VGP Park Lliçà d'Amunt in Spain. To secure the most suitable conditions for bees, we installed Mediterranean and honey plants, such as rosemary or lavender, always respecting the environment of Lliçà d'Amunt. To finish the landscaping, we established an automatic irrigation system so the plants can receive water for their rooting or summer months without rain.

And finally, we filled the beehives with 250,000 native bees, which are now pollinating the flowers around the park and favoring the local biodiversity. The species is called Apis Mellifera Iberiensis (the Spanish bee), an autochthonous species of the country. The species is currently facing the danger of extinction.

Photo © Aneta Vyšehradová

Thanks to the thorough and regular care of our professional beekeeper Eric Barbero, we collected almost 40kg of honey in June 2022. The honey was then put in 500ml jars destined for charity and 200ml jars kept for the tenants of the park and visitors.

To help us give the jars a final touch with the labels, we decided to contact Esclatec, a special employment centre in Barcelona promoting social and labour inclusion for people with multiple disabilities. During the workshop, each jar was also signed by the person who labelled it and is thus unique.

Photo © Esclatec

Honey giving

On October 27, 2022, the labelled honey was ready for pick up from Esclatec, which also allowed us to visit the centre of Esclat Marina Residence and Day Centre. Here, the association offers a flexible living space responding to the different needs of people with disabilities requiring extensive or general support. In the Day Centre, they also provide support and space for people with multiple disabilities outside the organisation.

Thanks to the lovely people in Esclatec, VGP Foundation received 150 jars ready to be shared where necessary.

After the inspiring visit at Esclatec, the honey was ready for delivery to children in need. Therefore, the second stop of the day was in Fundació Alber (Barcelona) created and supported by the H10 Hoteles group. The Foundation is a multipurpose organisation aiming to promote equal opportunities and social integration and to enable families to achieve autonomy. Under one roof, one may find the following services for children and their families: socio-educational centre, osteopathy department, Caritas Paidós and F.A.S.E., the ‚Albert Health and Education Foundation‘.

After meeting the devoted caretakers and visiting the centre, we were ready to meet with the children to deliver the honey. Three groups of children joined us to taste it for the very first time and seeing their big smiles and excitement, we concluded that the VGP honey is not only packed with a lot of nutrients but also with a great taste.

We are already excited to see how well the bees will do next year so that we can see more of those beautiful smiles.

Heartfelt thanks to Aristeu, Esclatec, and Fundación Alber, and congratulations on what you do for the nature and society. You are a great inspiration to us all!

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