Children from Charlton Manor primary school are going that extra mile at 2pm on Friday, October 16, as they march together to save the bees.

The Year 6 ‘Bee Friendly’ March - organised by the school’s new campaigns group and supported by Friends of the Earth - will take in Charlton Village, Charlton Park and the streets around the school in Indus Road, London. Around 50-60 children are expected to take part.

“We’re doing it to make people more aware of the threats to bees and what can be done to save them,” said campaigns group member Daisy Thackrah, aged 11. “We interviewed Mr Sion Williams, from Friends of the Earth, on Charlton Manor News and he made it clear how serious the situation is.”

Mr Williams, who works at the charity’s headquarters in Stockwell, said: “I think Charlton Manor’s Bee Friendly March is fantastic. It’s really great to see children getting together to show how much they care for the bees and it’s a great example of people power, which is what Friends of the Earth is really all about.”

Whilst bees may be thought of as more suited to the countryside, cities now play an important role in helping to protect the bees as well.

Bees pollinate almost all of our fruit and vegetables and much of our food as well. Without bees farmers would have to do that themselves by hand.

Charlton Manor School keeps bees, and many children and staff are trained as bee keepers, they extract honey and sell it from 'Sweet Pickings' Tuck Shop in the school playground.

The healthy eating school is one of a growing number of schools that are integrating beekeeping into the curriculum.  In cooking lessons, they use honey in their recipes, and in geography, they learn how different parts of the world make use of bees, it also teaches the children about respect and responsibility.

Friends of the Earth have set up 300 Bee Worlds and are encouraging people and groups to create Bee & Bees for solitary bees, visit www.foe.co.uk