Today we’d like to introduce you to James Wheeldon.
Hi James, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
In 2022, my wife and I traveled to Moldova to assist a friend with his newly established charity, Hope4. After returning home, we attempted to raise funds for him but struggled to make progress. During this time, I discovered beekeeping and decided to leverage this skill to help alleviate global poverty, leading to the creation of Beekeeping For Hope.
We dedicated individual bee colonies to meaningful causes, donating all honey sales from these hives to various charities. Our initial focus was supporting an orphanage in Uganda through a beehive. However, after over a year of support, we learned that the orphanage was a fraud, designed to deceive us for financial gain. In response, we withdrew all international support and shifted our focus to local initiatives, rebranding ourselves as Open Hive: Where Bees and Communities Thrive.
Now, our commitment lies in serving our community by educating people of all ages, from toddlers to seniors. We aim to reconnect individuals with nature, encouraging them to set aside their phones and rediscover the calming and intriguing world around them. We achieve this through educational programs centred on honeybees and beekeeping.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Not at all. As a one of a kind registered charity we get some members of the local beekeeping association hindering us, by trying to tarnish our name with untrue allegations. It can be a struggle but we carry on as we know we’re doing good and at the heart of our operations it’s education. So we encourage people to help bees and even become beekeepers.
The Scam with Uganda was heart breaking at first but we bounced back and became stronger.
Our charity is non-profit so at times its very hard trying to juggle charity, family and a full time job. I find myself letting a lot of people down as I simply don’t have time.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My wife and 2 boys are my focus and my dream is to be able to become fully funded, so we have earn a living from our beekeeping ventures. We’d be free to educate anyone at anytime. Visit schools, community groups, gatherings and invite all sorts of individuals and groups into our apiaries. The possibilities are endless.
As an individual I love nature. I love being outdoors, just sitting still, calming down and observing the living world around me and this comes out in my passion for beekeeping. It’s an enjoyable, engaging and calming skill which helps ground me in the natural world. I love sharing this experience and I achieve this though our beekeeping experiences.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
Just to get back to nature. Reconnect yourself, get outside and rediscover this incredible world all around you.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.open-hive.org.uk
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/openhivebeekeeping
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/openhivebeekeeping
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/open-hive-beekeeping
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@OpenHiveBeekeeping
- Other: http://tiktok.com/@openhivebeekeeping
