News updates

New year 2024

We wish you all a Happy New Year, and hope you are well.  We have parked the website for our latest project called plant2connect while we figure out how to transform it into a physical calendar or journal.  Also, the remaining CDs of the BeePlus resource pack will be donated to appropriate users, as we have now closed our online shop.  All our products are being lodged on the TES website, including the Better Babies manual, free from their resources area.  We can then close down the CIC with all its good work saved in an accessible place.  Our intention is to dissolve by the end of the Financial Year.

September 2022

We were all saddened by the news today that Bill Turnbull had died.  He was gracious enough to listen to our 'pitch' for the BeePlus project, back in 2010, and to agree to write the foreword for the workbook.

The project had a huge impact, reaching over 10,000 children with information about the plight of bees, and it was great to have such an advocate for our efforts.  Bill was an avid beekeeper, and so made a fitting celebrity to support our project.

The materials for teaching children about bees are still available from our shop.  They were updated in 2017, in CD format.


New year 2022

We wish you all a Happy New Year, and hope you are well.  We are continuing to promote our new project called plant2connect with it's own website, where we are trying to promote health, community and environment by encouraging people to grow something.  We still have CDs of the BeePlus resource pack available, which we have advertised by putting a sample on the TES website, which also still has the Better Babies manual free from their resources area.

Mid year 2021

Having designed a new project called plant2connect we are trying to promote health, community and environment by encouraging people to grow something.  Our launch day will be World Bee Day which ties in nicely with our first ever project.  We still have CDs of the BeePlus resource pack, we have put a sample on the TES website, and are still ready to post a CD to any group that would be interested in using that material.

Mid year 2020

Having made the Better Babies manual free for delivery from the online shop and via resources on the Times Education Supplement website (https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources), we are planning to use this facility more.  We were working on Time for Tiffin, as a more specific focus of the Waste Away project, but were unsure how this could be launched from COVID-19 lockdown.  So, as we still have CDs of the BeePlus resource pack, we have put a sample on the TES website, and will be ready to post a CD to any group that would be interested in using that material.

Mid year 2019

We still have CDs of the updated resource pack for BeePlus 2019 ready for postage to any group that would be interested in running that project.  We have made the Better Babies manual free for delivery from the online shop and via resources on the Times Education Supplement website (https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources).  We struggled to get the right scope and focus for the project we called A is for Astronaut, so have shelved that for now.  Instead, we are working on a new project about the environmental impact of waste, which we are calling Waste Away for now.

Mid year 2018

We have heard that West Rise school in Eastbourne, one of the original participants in BeePlus, has now got its own bees!  Also, Morland Primary in Ipswich, had shared pictures of a visit with BeePlus posters in the background. http://www.morlandprimary.com/bee-man-visit/.  We still have CDs of the updated resource pack for BeePlus 2018 ready for postage to any group that would be interested in running that project.  We are now concentrating on a new project exploring career options for children, called A is for Astronaut; we have just finished running a Facebook campaign to engage people with defining potential careers, using a daily different cartoon for each letter of the alphabet.

Early 2018

We have completed the E-Plus project in Hounslow, and published an evaluation report (see the project page).  The team has finalised the materials for the Better Babies project, and will make the fact folder available via our online shop.  We also have CDs of the updated resource pack for BeePlus 2018 ready for postage to any group that would be interested in running that project.

Mid year 2017

We have finalised the updated resource pack for BeePlus 2017 and have distributed copies to 48 primary schools in the area of local paper Fareham View after their Community Cashpot award. Extra CDs were duplicated for sale, and they have prompted us to set up a shop in Online Store. This might be the route we take for distributing the materials for the Better Babies project too.  And finally, the E-Plus project with funding from the DWP is drawing to a close in Hounslow.

Early 2017

We have recently had a progress meeting with DWP about the E-Plus project, which is doing well in Hounslow.  The team has finalised the materials for the Better Babies project, making a fact folder of nutrition and lifestyle choices and how they impact birth weight and the future health of the baby.  We hope to have those materials printed and ready to go soon.  And also in final review is the updated resource pack for BeePlus 2016/7 that will be distributed to primary schools after the Community Cashpot award from local paper Fareham View.

Early 2016

The E-Plus project is underway in Hounslow, with funding from DWP; we Go-Live on 22 Feb! What we really need are more mentors - contact us via the website for an application form and details of the role. Meanwhile, the team is putting together the materials for the Better Babies project, making a fact folder of nutrition and lifestyle choices and how they impact birth weight and the future health of the baby.  We hope to have those materials ready soon after Easter.  And BeePlus 2016 has had a boost from local paper Fareham View, with the award of a £250 Community Cashpot to support the production of more materials for local primary schools.

Mid year 2015


After the successful completion of the pilot E-Plus project in Richmond, a similar project was suggested in Hounslow.  An introductory meeting was held on 1 July, and a funding application is being prepared.  It is hoped to support about 18 service users over the next 15 months or so, into placements that may lead on into sustainable employment or search for further work.  We will be working alongside key stakeholders and collaborating with and complimenting the work of WLMHT, the Job Centre Plus, and Hounslow Borough Council in order to signpost clients to relevant services where and when identified.


Early 2015


The pilot phase of the E-Plus project came to an end in January with the close of the funding from Big Lottery Fund / Awards for All.  An evaluation report was prepared, and a meeting of all interested parties was held on 23 January.  The P2N CIC team is also preparing a handbook, so that others can run similar projects in other parts of the country.


Mid year 2014


The main effort for us during the middle part of the year was to get the paperwork in place and register as a Community Interest Company.  We achieved this on 31 July 2014.  Then the hard work started so that we could update all our information and relaunch the website, including a new logo, whilst maintaining our efforts on the projects.


Start of 2014

The BIG news is that, in partnership with KAG, we were given an ‘Awards for All’ grant of £10,000, from the Big Lottery Fund!  This will fund part of the EPlus: Recovery into Work project pilot.  We are also now ready with two publicity leaflets (one aimed at employers and one for service users), with forms for completion to register interest in the project.  It's all looking good for a busy 2014!


And there's good news about the expansion of the BeePlus idea, with a project established in the Republic of Ireland: read all about it on this page!