At Nancy Hands, part of Valence Hospitality, we believe that true hospitality extends beyond our restaurant doors—it means caring for our environment, our communities, and the future of Ireland’s natural beauty. In 2024, we took a meaningful step toward sustainability by sponsoring three native Irish honey bee hives with OpenHive, an initiative dedicated to protecting pollinators and promoting biodiversity.
Despite a challenging year of unpredictable weather, a cold, wet spring, and the coldest summer in nearly a decade, our partnership with OpenHive ensured that these vital pollinators remained resilient, contributing to Ireland’s biodiversity, local ecosystems, and conservation efforts.
Why Protecting Native Irish Honey Bees Matters
Pollinators like bees play a crucial role in maintaining Ireland’s rich biodiversity. They are responsible for pollinating countless flowering plants, ensuring the growth of food crops, and supporting entire ecosystems. However, due to climate change, habitat loss, and environmental challenges, native bee populations are at risk.
By sponsoring these hives, Nancy Hands and Valence Hospitality have directly contributed to:
🌿 Protecting Ireland’s pollinators – Our support enabled OpenHive to proactively manage the hives, ensuring the bees survived challenging weather conditions through supplemental feeding and careful hive maintenance.
🐝 Enhancing local ecosystems – Healthy bee populations mean stronger biodiversity, improved pollination, and thriving local flora, benefiting not just nature but also farmers and food producers.
📚 Community education and awareness – Through hands-on workshops, school programs, and beekeeper training, our sponsorship has helped inspire a new generation of environmental stewards who understand the importance of conservation.
Beyond Conservation: How Our Sponsorship Created Impact
Nancy Hands’ sponsorship didn’t just protect the hives—it created meaningful change for the environment and local communities. Here’s how:
✔️ Educational Workshops – We helped fund interactive learning sessions for schools and community groups, where participants got to explore hive structures, learn about beekeeping, and understand the role of pollinators in agriculture.
✔️ Research and Queen Breeding Programs – OpenHive’s efforts, supported by our sponsorship, contributed to scientific studies on bee health and a queen breeding program aimed at strengthening native bee populations.
✔️ Swarm Capture and Hive Management – By preventing swarms from being lost and ensuring hives remained strong, we played a role in maintaining a healthy, sustainable bee population.
✔️ Strengthening Sustainability Commitments – Supporting bee conservation aligns with Valence Hospitality’s broader commitment to sustainable practices, ethical sourcing, and environmental stewardship.
A Call to Action: Join Us in Preserving Ireland’s Natural Beauty
At Nancy Hands, we believe that corporate responsibility should drive real, lasting change. Sponsoring native Irish honey bees is just one of the many ways we’re committed to preserving Ireland’s environment for future generations.
We encourage other businesses, organizations, and individuals to take action and support biodiversity initiatives. Whether through sponsorships, educational outreach, or sustainable practices, every effort counts in protecting Ireland’s natural heritage.
As we look ahead, Valence Hospitality remains dedicated to new sustainability challenges every year. The weather, climate, and environmental conditions are always changing, but our mission remains the same: to protect nature, enhance biodiversity, and ensure that Ireland continues to be one of the world’s most beautiful and welcoming destinations.
🌍 Join us in making a difference—because a thriving Ireland benefits us all!
Visit Nancy Hands on Parkgate Street, Dublin 8, and be part of a greener future.
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