Hackney school ‘excited’ after signing UK-first twinning arrangement to help save bees

Kingsmead pupils celebrate their new twinship. Photograph: Kristian Buus

A Hackney primary school has officially twinned with a school in Uganda as part of an international project to protect bees.

The agreement is the first of its kind for the UK and will see Kingsmead pupils and their peers at the New Brain School in Kampala support Buzzline, a project that creates green pathways for pollinating insects.

Gerry Tissier of grassroots group EcoACTIVE, which created the Hackney Buzzline, travelled to Uganda in early March for the signing of the twinning arrangement and the launch of the Kampala Buzzline.

He handed over gifts of insect face masks made by Kingsmead pupils to Hannington Sserwanga, who founded the Kampala Buzzline and works with the New Brain School.

Tissier also collected gifts made by the Ugandan children out of banana fibres. These were shared with Kingsmead pupils at a special assembly last week.

Following the launch, Tissier said: “Kingsmead and New Brain schools may be separated by 4,000 miles, but they stand united in their commitment to protect the natural world.

“Children on the Hackney Buzzline and the Kampala Buzzline are learning to love and look after bees, butterflies and other pollinators in their neighbourhoods.

“EcoACTIVE is excited to be supporting this inventive intercontinental connection for nature.”

EcoACTIVE’s Gerry Tissier meets pupils at New Brain School. Photograph: courtesy Kingsmead

EcoACTIVE was last year awarded £250,000 in funding to create Hackney’s four-kilometre bee corridor.

The collaboration between the schools came about later when Sserwanga spotted a post about the Buzzline and Kingsmead on social media.

He contacted Tissier and the rest is history.

Sserwanga said: “How I wish I could relive my childhood and experience the joy of receiving a gift from a friend at Kingsmead Primary School!

“I am thrilled to be part of a project that inspires children to think globally while acting locally to protect and preserve our environment.”

The twinship will see pupils from both schools carry out environmental activities in their communities, joint classroom projects, cultural exchanges, fundraising, and more.

Objectives of the agreement include raising students’ respect for diversity and educating them about environmental challenges in different parts of the world.

New Brain students wear face masks made by Kingsmead children. Photograph: courtesy Kingsmead

Mia Cameron, a Year 6 student at Kingsmead, said: “I felt very happy to be involved with the Hackney Buzzline, because I got to help look after the environment and take care of our pollinating insects. It was really nice to be able to study them close up and see how beautiful they are.

“I feel very happy that the project is now involving other schools as far away as Uganda!

“We were so happy to make some gifts to send to children at the New Brain school in Kampala and to know that Gerry will be working with them too, to support insects in Kampala.”

Kingsmead headteacher Evelyn Deeney added: “The fact that this project has evolved and is now leading to an opportunity for our school to twin with a primary school in Kampala is an exciting development.

“We really look forward to working with the New Brain primary school and harnessing the passion and enthusiasm our children share, on different sides of the globe, for protecting the environment and supporting pollinating insects!”

Her words were echoed by Fred Ntensibe, director of the New Brain School, who said: “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. Hence, the journey has started.

“At New Brain, life has taught us that good friends are a family. Therefore, New Brain and Kingsmead have become one family.”